Michigan State tops Oakland, 70-52

Denzel Valentine scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Adreian Payne added 15 points and nine boards as they teamed up to lead No. 19 Michigan State to a 70-52 victory  over Oakland on Friday at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Michigan State (4-1) shot 52 percent from the field (26-of-50).

The Spartans gave themselves second chances during the game, snatching 11 offensive rebounds. More Michigan State scoring came from Derrick Nix, who scored 10 and Keith Appling, who scored 20. Corey Petros contributed 14 points and corralled 10 rebounds for Oakland (2-4) in the game. The Golden Grizzlies shot just 28 percent from the field (16-of-58).

Oakland also got a double-digit performance from Duke Mondy, who scored 16. Winning the rebounding battle was a key to victory for Michigan State as it outrebounded the Golden Grizzlies 43-23. The Spartans never trailed in the game. Michigan State was winning 23-16 in the first before it went on an 11-3 run to extend its lead to 15 points with 59 seconds left in the first half. Valentine finished the run off with a free throw, which helped Michigan State lead 34-21 at halftime.

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HALFTIME: No. 19 Michigan State is on top 34-21 at halftime after outrebounding Oakland 27-10 in the first half. The Spartans led from the start and led by as many as 15 points. The Golden Grizzlies went into a funk with the score 10-9, going 1:55 without a point while Michigan State went on an 8-0 run to open up a nine-point lead.

The Spartans have been effective inside, making 11-of-19 two-point field goals, but Michigan State has struggled on the perimeter, shooting 1-for-7 from three-point range. The Spartans had six offensive rebounds in the first half, leading to second-chance opportunities. Michigan State got points from seven different players.

Oakland's leading scorer, Travis Bader, has been contained by Michigan State thus far. With zero points, the junior will need a strong second half to get to his usual level of production (19 points per game). Adreian Payne led the way for the Spartans in the first half, with seven points and eight rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies' Corey Petros had a big first half, with eight points and six rebounds.

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