Michigan State sophomores dazzle but Miles Bridges injured
EAST LANSING – For the second time this season, Tom Izzo watched Miles Bridges crumble in a heap in front of Michigan State’s bench.
The sophomore twisted his left ankle while driving to the basket as the second-ranked Spartans overcame early struggles to pull away from pesky Stony Brook, 93-71 on Sunday at Breslin Center.
MSU coach Tom Izzo said the 6-foot-7 swingman is day-to-day with a sprain, though Izzo said it is not a high-ankle injury. Bridges was not made available to the media after the game.
Bridges went down with 8:32 left in the game and did not return, finishing with 20 points and six rebounds. He tried to reenter the game to shoot free throws moments after the injury but ended up walking back to locker room with training staff instead.
“They say 24-48 hours is usually when you know more on a sprained ankle,” Izzo said. “It swelled up a little bit, but then it didn’t swell up much more. And when I saw him after, they just kept him in so they could put ice on it right away. I would say by Tuesday morning, I’ll know a little bit more, maybe (Monday).
“But Miles is tough enough to play through it, but we’re not gonna take any chances, either. We’re gonna have to see where it’s at.”
It was the second time Bridges was hurt at home this season, with a fall during an exhibition win over Ferris State resulting in four stitches over his right eye. He returned to play that game.
“To see him go down – with all of his dreams and aspirations – you can’t but help but feel bad in your heart for a second.,” point guard Cassius Winston said. “We saw him get back up though, we saw him walking. So we said, ‘You know what? He’s a strong kid, he’s all right, he’s gonna be back with us.’ Just praying for him and for a speedy recovery.”
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Sophomores shine
It was another big game for MSU’s talented sophomore class, even before Bridges’ injury. He combined with Winston, Nick Ward and Joshua Langford for 74 points, 21 rebounds and 13 assists.
Ward had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Langford finished 8 of 13 shooting with 19 points and added five assists.
“For me, I just wanted to go out there and do my job on a consistent basis,” Langford said. “Against Duke, I wasn’t consistent enough. Everybody saw it, it was on the film. I just wanted to make sure (Sunday) I was consistent each play, each possession and be locked in as much as possible.”
Four players scored in double figures for Stony Brook, led by 16 from Elijah Olaniyi.
MSU struggled on the glass and defensively early again. The Seawolves (0-4) built an eight-point lead midway into the first half with hot shooting from beyond the arc to open the game. Izzo was frustrated with the defensive lapses by both Ward and Winston outside.
“When a team starts out hitting 6 of their first 8 threes, and most of them were their big guys, I said we don’t guard very well with certain people,” Izzo said. “It proved its point tonight.”
However, the Spartans fought back. Langford started strong and had 11 first-half points, while Winston scored 10 of his 13 points in the last 10 minutes of the opening half to help MSU recover to a 44-38 halftime lead.
“Josh Langford was the best player on the court as far as a guy that did things on both ends,” Izzo said. “Miles was actually playing pretty good defense until he got hurt.”
The Spartans eventually recovered on the glass and finished with a 41-25 edge and by holding Stony Brook to just 40.7% shooting. The Seawolves, however, shot 50% from deep, making 13 of 26 from beyond the arc.
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Freshmen flip-flop
Freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr. got into early foul trouble and couldn’t stay on the court. He eventually fouled out and finished scoreless with three turnovers, no blocks and four rebounds.
With Kenny Goins out for a few weeks with a knee injury, Jackson’s issues allowed freshman Xavier Tillman to pick up additional minutes. He started the second half and finished with nine points, five rebounds, three blocks and an assist in 13 minutes.
“Me and Kenny talked last night, and he just told me to take advantage of my opportunities when I get them,” Tillman said. “That’s what I tried to do. … It feels good. I just want to be dependable for my coaches and for my teammates.”
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What’s next
The game was the home campus game for the Phil Knight Invitational PK80 tournament, which opens in Portland, Oregon on Thursday. The Spartans (2-1) will leave Tuesday and opens play against DePaul at 11:30 p.m. ET on Thursday (ESPN).
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!