Spartans Spear Golden Knights
Forwards Jason Klein and Andre Hutson combined for 37 points Friday to lead No. 7 Michigan State to an 87-64 victory over Central Florida in the opening round of the Spartan Classic.
Klein's 19 points led a balanced scoring attack for the Spartans (3-1), who had four players in double figures. Hutson had 18 points, Charlie Bell 14 and Thomas Kelley added 10.
D'Quarius Stewart led Central Florida (1-2) with 12 points.
The Spartans will meet the winner of the Western Michigan-North Carolina-Wilmington game in Saturday's championship contest.
Michigan State led 52-33 at halftime, but Central Florida started the second half with a 15-2 run to cut the Spartans' lead to 54-48 on a jumper by Stewart with 15:10 left.
Michigan State answered with a 20-7 spurt, highlighted by Hutson's six points and four apiece from Bell and Kelley to boost its lead to 74-55 with just over six minutes left.
Michigan State opened the game with a 10-2 run, but a basket by Central Florida's Davin Granberry brought the Golden Knights within a point at 15-14.
The Spartans answered with a 16-0 run, capped by Hutson's three-point play with 8:25 remaining to open a 31-14 lead.
Michigan's State's biggest lead of the first half was 47-26 after a second-chance basket by Morris Peterson with 2:15 left in the first half.
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