EAST LANSING – Michigan State started its week by vanquishing its toughest foe of recent years by winning the program’s first-ever game on the road at Duke.
It ended it by surviving a scare from a Breslin Center pest of yesteryear.
No. 8 Michigan State came back from a second-half deficit to get by Detroit Mercy, 83-76, on Friday night at the Breslin Center.
After a tight first 33 minutes that saw UDM lead by as many as five, Spartans sophomore guard Rocket Watts led a second-half charge that at last sealed the win.
Watts checked in midway through the second half with UDM leading by five and recorded eight points in a span of 2:21 to help the Spartans claw back.
He then found Gabe Brown for two straight baskets, including the second on a drive down the baseline with 5:48 left to give Michigan State a two-point lead.
Detroit Mercy (0-1) stayed within a basket until the final two minutes, until Titans star guard Antoine Smith missed a potential game-tying jumper with 1:14 left and the Spartans (4-0) got baskets from Brown and Julius Marble to seal the win.
Watts finished with 23 points and Brown had 16, including 10 in the final 6:35. Aaron Henry had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Joey Hauser had 10 points.
Davis poured in 24 points for the Titans.
The Titans won three straight games against Michigan State in the first three years of Tom Izzo’s tenure, including two at Breslin Center.
For much of Friday night, they seemed poised to do the same nearly a quarter-century later as they came in energized in their season-opener against a Michigan State team played an often lackadaisical first 20 minutes.
Tom Izzo worried publicly before the game that his team could come out flat three days after an emotional top-10 win and quickly saw his fears realized.
A team that had been strong defensively through its first three games of the year allowed UDM players to drive for open layups. The team that averaged more than 25 assists in its first two games continued to struggle moving the ball, with just five assists in the opening 20 minutes.
Detroit Mercy hung with the Spartans on the boards throughout the game. The Spartans’ turnover issues from their first game returned, with 17 for the game.
The Spartans shot just 3-for-12 from long distance for the half despite having no shortage of open looks and went 4-for-13 on layups.
Joey Hauser came out and made three baskets in the first four minutes of the second half, punctuated by a 3-pointer, to help get Michigan State going.
But Detroit Mercy also had answers. The Titans’ Matt Johnson hit three 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half, including two from the same spot on back-to-back possessions to deny the Spartans any momentum and help his team regain the lead.
Michigan State cut the deficit to one point with back-to-back jumpers from Watts, the second of which came with 8:52 left, but Detroit Mercy answered with a 3-pointer in front of its own bench, then a steal.
Watts, though, had plenty more left in him. He hit a pair of free throws, then a jumper to tie the game with 7:08 left as he put his team on his back and eventually led it to a win.
Michigan State played without senior guard Joshua Langford, who was a game-time decision due to a knee injury.
Following a standout first three games to the season – comfortable wins over Eastern Michigan and Notre Dame, then the program’s first-ever win at Duke – Michigan State came back down to earth thanks to a feisty Detroit Mercy team that brought no shortage of energy to the Breslin Center.
Michigan State will now have just one off day before a Sunday game against Western Michigan.
