Michigan State needed a road win to stay on top of the Big Ten title race and Williams Arena stood between the Spartans and a weekly road split.
The Spartans pounced early, took a double-digit lead in the first half and then just coasted to a 70-52 thumping of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. No one expected this lopsided of a victory over a hot Gophers team on the road, but Tom Izzo seems to have Richard Pitino’s number lately and his team showed a much better sense of urgency than it did in two previous road games.
When Michigan State took a 24-11 lead in the first half, it seemed like this team had figured it out and that came just minutes after scoring just two points before the first media timeout.