Juwan Gary scores 20, Nebraska beats Michigan State 77-70
Juwan Gary scored 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, Brice Williams scored all his 14 points in the second half and Nebraska beat Michigan State 77-70 Sunday night.
Keisei Tominaga hit three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points for Nebraska (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) and C.J. Wilcher scored 10. Rienk Mast added eight points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Gary scored in the lane and Williams hit a 3-pointer to give Nebraska a 67-65 lead before Malik Hall made to free throw to tie the score with 2 minutes to play. Tominaga answered with two foul shots to put the Cornhuskers back in front 14 seconds later and, after Hall missed a 3-point shot on the other end, Mast scored in the paint before Williams hit two free throws to make it 73-67 with 39 seconds left.
Hall made 7 of 7 from the free-throw line and led Michigan State (4-5, 0-2) with 22 points. Tyson Walker scored 17 points, A.J. Hoggard 12 and Jaden Akins 10.
The Spartans have lost three of their last four. They sandwiched losses to then-No. 3 and currently top-ranked Arizona and No. 23 Wisconsin around an 86-55 win over Georgia Southern on Nov. 28.
Gary took a steal the other way for a layup to open the second half and spark an 11-2 run that gave Nebraska a 42-36 lead — its biggest of the game until Williams capped the scoring with 25 seconds left — when Tominaga hit a 3-pointer with 16:30 to play.
Nebraska had lost back-to-back games to then-No. 15 Creighton and at Minnesota following a seven-game win streak to open the season.
Michigan State plays No. 6 Baylor at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday. Nebraska is off for a week before a road game against Kansas State on Dec. 17.