Kennedy Blair gave Michigan State exactly the kind of lift that can carry a team through a messy road game.
The junior guard posted her first double-double of the season with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Michigan State women’s basketball held off Toledo for a 72-64 win Saturday afternoon at Savage Arena. The Spartans are now 2-0, while Toledo dropped to 0-2.
Blair did plenty of damage at the line too, going 10-for-14 on free throws while adding four assists in 35 minutes. Theryn Hallock chipped in 14 points and six rebounds, and freshmen Emma Broliron and Monique Bobongie each scored eight despite dealing with foul trouble. Toledo’s Jyah Lovett led the Rockets with 16 points.
Michigan State set the tone early, jumping ahead 8-4 before both offenses hit a wall. The game turned into a grind from there, with turnovers piling up and neither side finding much rhythm.
Toledo briefly grabbed a 12-10 lead on an 8-0 run, but the Spartans answered with 10 straight points to reclaim control at 20-12. Blair had eight points in the opening quarter and led all scorers.
The second quarter stayed ugly offensively for MSU, but the defense kept the Spartans in front. Toledo pulled even at 22-22 on a Kendall Carruthers 3-pointer with less than five minutes left in the half.
Michigan State opened the game 0-for-10 from long range before Broliron finally snapped the drought with 1:29 left in the period. The Rockets then finished the half 0-for-8 from the field, and MSU went into the locker room up 31-23.
Hallock’s 3-pointer helped push Michigan State to its first double-digit cushion at 40-30, and a 7-0 run kept the Spartans comfortably ahead through much of the third quarter. Toledo refused to fold, though, and Michigan State went more than four minutes without a field goal. The Spartans eventually found their touch again, and Anna Terrian buried a 3-pointer to give MSU its largest lead of the day at 55-37 with 45 seconds left in the quarter.
Toledo kept making it interesting in the fourth. The Rockets trimmed the margin to 64-54 after a pair of free throws from Ella Weaver, then cut it to six on a Lovett layup. But Hallock shut the door with a fast-break layup with three seconds remaining.
Michigan State now heads home to face Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. on B1G+.
The Spartans used the same starting five for the second straight game - Blair, Hallock, Bobongie, Tabitha Betson and Kathy-Emma Otto - and improved to 2-0 with that group. After playing 13 players in the opener, only nine saw action against Toledo. Freshmen Lily Williams and Emma Broliron, along with sophomores Amy Terrian and Anna Wypych, all got minutes.
MSU’s defense was a major factor in the win. The Spartans forced 18 turnovers, collected 13 steals and blocked five shots, a season high.
Through two games, Michigan State has 33 takeaways after swiping 20 steals against Valparaiso and forcing 30 turnovers in that opener. Blair’s 28-point night also marked the first double-double of the season for the Spartans, and it was the seventh of her career.
Hallock reached double figures for the 47th time in her career.
The victory also evened the all-time series with Toledo at 4-4, and Michigan State has now won the last three meetings.
In Other News...
Pat Fitzgerald Just Dropped Michigan State Into A Huge CFP Debate
Pat Fitzgerald has already put Michigan State in the middle of one of college footballs biggest arguments, and he did it by taking a broad view of where the sport is headed. The Spartans head coach backed expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams and even floated the idea that a 48-team format could work, drawing parallels to the way the NCAA Tournament and the NFL have grown their postseason fields over time.
Fitzgerald also used the moment to sharpen his critique of how college football is run, saying coaches and players should have a bigger voice in the decisions that shape the sport. He pointed to the Protect College Sports Act as a possible step forward, while also casting doubt on whether it will actually get through, which leaves Michigan State tied to a larger debate that is still very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Tullis Just Gave Michigan State A Needed Backfield Spark
Jalen Tullis was not supposed to be a central part of Michigan States backfield plan, but injuries opened the door and he made the most of it in East Lansings biggest rivalry setting. In the Spartans win at Michigan Stadium, the running back handled 25 carries for a career-high 86 yards and gave MSU the kind of steady, physical presence it needed to tilt the ground game in its favor.
For a team trying to find its footing under Pat Fitzgerald, Tullis emergence mattered beyond one afternoon. Michigan State controlled possession and tempo with its run game, and the victory brought the Spartans their first Big Ten win under Fitzgerald while also snapping a six-game skid against Michigan. Whether Tullis role keeps growing is the next question, but he clearly gave this offense a spark it had been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Found Unexpected Heroes In A Rivalry Win
Michigan States rivalry win over Michigan had the feel of a game the Spartans had to scrape together in real time, and they did it while missing several key players to injury. The 15-6 result snapped a six-game losing streak and turned into a night where the next-man-up approach mattered as much as any pregame plan, with younger and lesser-known contributors suddenly carrying major responsibility.
Sophomore wide receiver Bryson Williams was one of the most notable stand-ins after stepping in for an injured teammate, while Brandon Tullis delivered his best game yet with 86 yards on 25 carries. On defense, Eli Coenen was on the field for nearly every snap and helped anchor a unit that kept Michigan out of the end zone, giving Michigan State a hard-earned answer to a rivalry that had gone the other way for too long. [Read more 🡒]