EAST LANSING, Mich. — Jaden Akins played a pivotal role for the No. 18 Michigan State Spartans, contributing 11 of his total 18 points in the first half of the game, which led to an 80-62 victory against Western Michigan on Monday night.
With this win, the Spartans improved their record to 11-2, marking their sixth consecutive victory and the ninth win in their last ten games. In contrast, the Broncos fell to 3-9, showing competitiveness at various points in the matchup but ultimately trailing by double digits during the second half.
Carson Cooper shone for Michigan State, scoring a career-best 13 points. On the Western Michigan side, Chansey Willis managed to score 12 points, while Max Burton added 10 to the scoreboard. This particular game was notable as it marked the return of Dwayne Stephens, who was appointed head coach after a long tenure as an assistant under Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo for 19 seasons, during which he also played for the Spartans under the late Jud Heathcote.
After the game, it was clear that Western Michigan could draw some optimism from their performance. Under Stephens’ leadership in his third season, the Broncos showed they can be competitive by starting strong in both halves, even taking an early lead against Michigan State at 11-5 and scoring the first ten points of the second half.
For Michigan State, the contributions from Cooper and Szymon Zapala—who added eight points and nine rebounds—were significant, particularly in light of Xavier Booker’s struggle to find his scoring rhythm. Booker managed only two points for the second game in a row after previously enjoying a streak of four consecutive games in double figures, including a personal best of 18 points in a prior game against Oakland.
A key moment in the game occurred when Cooper executed an impressive alley-oop dunk during the second half, stretching the Spartans’ lead to eight points and setting the stage for their 18-point triumph.
Although the Spartans managed to claim the victory, they faced challenges, notably in ball control. They recorded 11 turnovers in the first half alone and concluded the game with a total of 17 turnovers, which limited their ability to dominate until the closing minutes.
Looking ahead, Michigan State will be facing Ohio State on Friday night, while Western Michigan gears up to host Toledo for their Mid-American Conference opener on Saturday.
