South Bend, Ind. − It will be easy to say the travel and injuries caught up with Michigan State on Wednesday night at Notre Dame.
But the reality was the 20th-ranked Spartans didn’t defend the entire first half, couldn’t make a shot early and never truly had the energy to muster much of a comeback bid as Notre Dame crushed Michigan State, 70-52, at the Purcell Pavilion, burying the Spartans in a barrage of 3-pointers in the final playing of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The Fighting Irish (6-1) were 11-for-26 from 3-point range, including 8-for-13 in the first half as they blitzed the Spartans in the opening 20 minutes, leading by 23 at one point.