Tom Izzo brings Spartans to Marquette for an exhibition basketball game.
MARQUETTE, MI – A long-time dream came true for Michigan State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tom Izzo. He brought his basketball team to Marquette for an exhibition contest against Northern Michigan University. MSU emerged with a 70-53 win Sunday before a crowd estimated at 11,500.
Izzo has his NMU jersey (#10) retired this weekend. A ceremony took place Saturday night at a banquet. A re-enactment was held during the first media timeout with all of Izzo’s family present along with NMU Athletic Director Rick Comley.
The game was intense for a preseason encounter, sprinkled with several recognitions during timeouts. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half. MSU was eight of 24 for 33.3 percent. NMU was seven of 31 for 22.6 percent. MSU held a 31-19 advantage after 20 minutes. But both teams improved in the second half. The Spartans shot 51.9 percent on 14 of 27 shooting. The Wildcats were an even 50 percent on 14 of 28 from the floor.
Michigan State led wire-to-wire. The Spartans were paced by Jase Richardson’s eleven points. Xavier Booker had ten with Jaxon Kohler contributing nine points.
NMU’s Jackson Dudek led all scorers with 14 points, making three of four from three-point land. Julien Smith chipped in with ten points.