Lansing Sun

Senior guard Jaden Akins led Michigan State's men's basketball team to a victory over Samford with a career-high 25 points. The Spartans overcame a 13-point deficit in the first half and secured an 83-75 win at the Breslin Center on Tuesday night.

Akins made 10 of his 15 shots, including three 3-pointers, contributing significantly to the team's performance. He was one of four players who scored in double figures for Michigan State.

Freshman guard Jase Richardson added 12 points, three assists, three rebounds, and four steals. Senior forward Frankie Fiedler also scored 12 points with two assists, while senior center Szymon Zapala contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Junior guard Tre Holloman had five points, nine assists, and six steals.

Michigan State now holds a record of 4-1 overall, while Samford falls to 4-2.

The game saw Michigan State trailing by as much as 13 points before they managed to tie the score at 23-all. They then outscored Samford by a margin of 15-5 in the final minutes of the first half to lead by ten at halftime.

A significant moment came when Frankie Fiedler's early second-half three-pointer extended MSU's lead to twelve points. Although Samford reduced the gap several times during the game, Michigan State maintained their advantage with key plays from Akins and others.

Samford started strong with a pair of three-pointers and forced five turnovers from MSU in the opening minutes. However, Michigan State responded with an impressive run that saw them take control of the game before halftime.

Next up for Michigan State is a trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational where they will face Colorado on Monday, November 25th.