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Michigan State defeats Kansas, 79-73: Full highlights, final score and more

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Kansas Jayhawks and Michigan State Spartans mascots spar before the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Kansas Jayhawks and Michigan State Spartans mascots spar before the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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In one of the best early-season games on the schedule, the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans looked to upset the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks.

The first half of the No. 13 Michigan State vs No. 4 Kansas game began with some foul trouble for both teams. In fact, there was very little momentum for either side, despite a double-digit Kansas lead because the whistles automatically stopped play and any shift in mojo.

Aided by free throws, the Jayhawks took a 41-35 lead into the break and finished the first half with more points than they had all of last year during their Champions Classic game against the Kentucky Wildcats when they finished with just 40.

After a first half in which it seemed to be all Kansas, the Spartans made a solid run in the second half to take their first lead since it was 6-5 with just under five minutes left in the contest.

The Spartans got hot at the end of the second half and ran away with a solid victory over the No. 4 team in the land.

Three Stars

Denzel Valentine became the fourth player in MSU history to record a triple-double. Valentine was a superstar, scoring 29 points with 12 assists and 12 rebounds.

Perry Ellis was the real star for the Jayhawks as he kept Kansas in the game, scoring 21 points and grabbing six rebounds.

Matt McQuaid made two of the greatest plays of the year, and he’s a freshman. Well, he did hit two clutch three-pointers and had a huge block. He finished with nine points.

Highlights

Betting Odds

Kansas was a 6.5-point favorite on Tuesday and the game was tightly-contested throughout, for the most part. If you picked the Spartans to beat that spread, you were in luck.

Next Week

Michigan State will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday at the Breslin Center. It should be an easy win for the Spartans. Expect the Spartans to move up in the rankings after this big win.

Kansas will be traveling to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational Tournament to face Chaminade. This should also be a cakewalk for the Jayhawks. Should be a much-needed confidence-booster for the Jayhawks.