The No. 4 Spartans erased a seven-point halftime deficit with ease and dominated the second half to down Penn State in its Big Ten opener, 79-63 at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. They outscored the Nittany Lions 39-16 in the second half.
Michigan State opened the second half with a 10-0 run that put them in the lead for good and it rattled off a 30-8 run through the first 12 minutes of the second frame.
The Spartans sought balanced scoring from all over and got just that. Five players finished with at least nine points, and despite Adreian Payne's relatively quiet night from the field, the offense thrived.