Quick Report: No. 6 Michigan State 88, Penn State 57

Marley Paul (@MarleyPaul22)
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Penn State coach Pat Chambers didn’t see most of his team’s game at No. 6 Michigan State on Sunday, but he didn’t need to. It was a sight he’s seen one too many times, and that showed as the fifth-year coach picked up double technical fouls in the first half and was ejected as his team was en route to a 88-57 blowout loss against the Spartans (24-5, 11-5 Big Ten) . It was the second loss against coach Tom Izzo’s team this year and the Nittany Lions (15-14, 6-10) lost the pair by a combined 58 points.

At first...
A typical Penn State start carried into East Lansing as it failed to produce any points until a hook shot from Donovon Jack almost four minutes into the game. Led by Matt Costello's six, Michigan State pounded the glass for 10 rebounds, but only held a 6-2 advantage. Eight minutes into the contest, neither team had much fluidity on the offense, and Penn State faced a reasonable 11-6 lead after two straight makes from the Spartans.

Turning point...
A 3-pointer from Shep Garner made it a 17-9 contest but after that, Michigan State took over. A 13-3 run put the Spartans up 22-9, and they only expounded on that lead, stretching it to 28-9 with eight minutes left in the half after scoring 11 unanswered. An offensive foul on Brandon Taylor — one of three Nittany Lions to foul out — triggered an irate Chambers to begin a one-sided shouting match with the nearside official, who made the call on Taylor from across the court. Chambers was ejected and Denzel Valentine’s free throws from the technical fouls followed by a 3 from Bryn Forbes gave Michigan State a 41-18 advantage with four minutes left in the half.

Standout star...
The frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year only strengthened those odds as Valentine powered his team to another blowout. The last time Penn State faced Valentine it was his first game back following a four-game absence recovering from a “minor” knee surgery. He was visible rusty, and managed to contribute 10 points plus four rebounds and assists, respectively. A month and a half later, the star forward poured in 19 points on 4-of-9 3-point shooting while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out six assists.

Noteworthy number...
18.
Penn State has size in the front court — two rotation players over 6-foot-10 — but physicality on the glass has eluded those the team as a whole frequently, and that bit them on the road Sunday as they were out-rebounded by 18 (51-33). The Nittany Lions were on the wrong end of a few foul whistles that led to foul troubles and frustration but that’s something out of their control. An increased focus on crashing the boards and maximizing possessions for the lowest scoring team in the conference would certainly help at least improve the chances of more points scored.

Up next:
Penn State vs. Northwestern 7 p.m. Thursday.
Michigan State @ Rutgers 7 p.m. Wednesday.