EAST LANSING, Mich. - It wasn't the Final Four, Elite Eight or Sweet 16, where these two powerhouse programs have faced each other over the past 18 years.
It was merely Exhibition Two for both teams, though you'd have a hard time believing that based on the large, rowdy Breslin Center crowd and the intense, physical play on the floor.
In a game that didn't count but certainly looked like it did, the UConn men's basketball team topped Michigan State 78-70 on Tuesday night. Nik Khamenis scored 19 points, including a spinning, teardrop jumper with 1:09 left to pretty much seal the deal, and Silas Demary Jr. added 16. Freshman Colben Landrew added 13 points and five rebounds.
Na'jai Hines, back in the starting lineup after beginning last week's Syracuse exhibition on the bench, scored eight points before fouling out, and Nils Machowski chipped in seven points off the bench.
Michigan State All-American candidate Jeremy Fears Jr. led all scorers with 23 points.
It's not even Halloween yet, but the Huskies' offense appeared in March form, particularly in the second half. UConn darted passes around the perimeter for 3's and to cutters for layups and shot 57 percent (16-for-28) from the floor and 6-for12 from 3 over the final 20 minutes. The Huskies had 13 assists on 16 field goals in the latter half and 21 dimes on 27 makes for the game.
Meanwhile, UConn held Sparty to 40 percent shooting overall and a mere 3-for-20(15 percent) from 3.
One negative for the Huskies: they were 14-for-22 from the foul line, and for the second game in a row, their starting center fouled out. Otherwise, it was hard not to be impressed with UConn overall on Tuesday in a game that meant nothing but said an awful lot.
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This article originally published at UConn men's basketball team impressive in intense exhibition win over Michigan State.