Spartans vanquish Seminoles, 65-49

Coming into the game Michigan State under Tom Izzo's 17 year tenure was 44-0 in the month of November.

You can now make that 45-0 after Michigan State handed Florida State it's third straight defeat, pulling away from the Seminoles by the score of 65-49.

Leonard Hamilton said after the game that his team gave the Spartans a lot of help in winning the game. By that Hamilton meant the 18 turnovers, not getting to the free throw line, and yet another game in which the 'Noles just could not find the basket.

For the game, FSU shot 39% and was just 4-20 from the arc. The Seminoles also only took six trips to the line, converting three compared to the 15-20 for MSU.

"I thought we took a step backwards tonight in terms of execution," Hamilton said. "We did not play with a sense of urgency and instead played with a lack of toughness."

"It was 40-39 and we had three or four possessions where we gave up offensive rebounds and three of four possessions when we turned the ball over. What was a one point lead turned into a 9 point deficit."

Where it all seemed to turn south for Florida State was with 11:14 to play and FSU up by one (40-39), a loose ball on a steal made it into the hands of Michael Snaer who tossed it to a streaking Okaro White on a breakaway.

With Snaer on the floor when he threw it, the ball did not have much velocity, allowing a MSU defender to get into position to take the charge from White. Instead of a basket and three point lead plus the foul, the ball went the other way.

Before three and half minutes had passed the Spartans were up 51-42 helped along by a lazy pass from Luke Loucks that was picked off, Xavier Gibson's fourth foul, and an air ball by White.

With the 'Noles unable to find the bottom of the net, especially against a Spartan defense every bit as good as FSU's, a comeback was not likely.

The Seminoles did try, however, managing to pull to 51-44 with 4:08 to play. But coming out of a TV timeout with 3:19 to play, a turnover by Snaer led to a Spartan layup in transition followed by a three pointer.

Down 56-44 with only 2:17 remaining, only the margin of defeat for FSU was the one thing undecided.

FSU did well to be in a position to possibly win the game. In the first half, sloppy play that saw five consecutive Seminole possessions end with a turnover and a scoreless stretch of more than six minutes, contributed to a 12 point deficit at 30-18.

Thanks to two baskets each by Snaer and Bernard James, the 'Noles closed it to 30-26 at intermission.

James and Snaer finished with 13 and 11 points respectively with James adding 13 rebounds.

Draymond Green and Brandon Wood each scored 16 with MSU point guard Keith Appling leading all players with 24. Many of Appling's points came in transition, where it was felt the FSU defense was not all that strong.

The Seminoles will attempt to get back on track Monday night returning to Tallahassee to host Charleston Southern in the first of four straight home games.

Hamilton added, "We have to find a way to win now. With four in a row at home maybe that is what we need."

Tip off is at 7 PM and will be shown on ESPNU.