EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Max Christie had 14 points, Gabe Brown scored 12 and No. 22 Michigan State built a big lead early and defeated Toledo 81-68 on Saturday.
Tyson Walker added 11 points and six assists and Marcus Bingham Jr. contributed 10 points and six rebounds for the Spartans (7-2). A.J. Hoggard had 10 points and four assists.
Michigan State took control with a 33-5 outburst in the first half and led by as many as 26 points before the break.
Toledo (6-2) was led by Ryan Rollins, who had 21 points. Sedric Millner Jr. tossed in 17 points and RayJ Dennis added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Brown and Bingham combined for 18 first-half points as the Spartans took a 43-23 halftime lead.
The Rockets used a 7-0 spurt to close to 64-55 with six minutes remaining. The Spartans scored the next six points to get their lead into double digits again.
BIG PICTURE
Michigan State has held opponents in all of its non-conference victories under 70 points. The Spartans set the defensive tone early by turning nine Toledo turnovers into 14 points during the first half. The Rockets were playing a ranked team for the first time and struggled to handle the Spartans’ size and quickness in the first half. They showed resiliency with their second-half comeback.
UP NEXT
Toledo: The Rockets host Bradley on Tuesday. Toledo lost last season’s opener to Bradley 61-59.
Michigan State: The Spartans play their first Big Ten game of the season at Minnesota on Wednesday. The Golden Gophers posted a 25-point victory over then-No. 17 Michigan State last December.
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