EAST LANSING, Mich., Sporting Alert — Joshua Langford and Cassius Winston each scored 17 points and No. 3 Michigan State beat No. 5 Notre Dame 81-63 the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday night.
Winston, who shot 6 of 10 and made five 3-pointers, also had seven assists and five rebounds in the win.
Miles Bridges added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists and Nick Ward finished with 12 points and five boards for the Spartans.
Bonzie Colson led Notre Dame with 17 points, six rebounds, five steals and four blocks.
Rex Pflueger had 15 points, Temple Gibbs scored 11 points and Matt Farrell ended with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Fighting Irish (6-1), who were losing for the first time this season.
After a very impressive start, Michigan State went into the interval with a 46-26 advantage.
The Fighting Irish used a 14-2 run to start the second half to cut the 20 point deficit to 8 points with 15:59 left in the game, at 48-40.
Farrell hit a mid-range pull-up jumper to cut the Spartans’ lead to 53-46 with 12:27 remaining, as Notre Dame continued to chip away at the lead.
However, Michigan State used a 15-7 spurt to build back its double-digit lead and then cruised home for a fifth straight victory.
The Spartans shot 18 of 35 from the floor in the first half and outrebounded Notre Dame 24-11.
NEXT UP
Notre Dame will play host to St. Francis Brooklyn on Sunday, while Michigan State entertains Nebraska on Sunday in its Big Ten conference opener.
