Michigan State basketball loses to Iowa, 78-71 at home

Iowa beats MSU 78-71, scoring 40-28 in paint. MSU struggles to defend and misses 8 layups. Michigan State basketball explores medical redshirt for freshman.

Michigan State University (MSU) suffered a 78-71 loss to Iowa at Breslin Center on Tuesday night. The Spartans struggled to defend the interior against the Hawkeyes and missed several layups, including short jumpers that rimmed out. Iowa took advantage of MSU's turnovers, turning eight of them into 14 points. MSU went 10-for-20 from 3-point range but only 17-for-40 inside the arc.

Tyson Walker scored 16 points for MSU, while Malik Hall added 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. A.J. Hoggard scored 15 points in the second half. Payton Sandfort scored 22 points with six rebounds for Iowa, and Ben Krikke had 18 points and 14 boards. Patrick McCaffery added 14 points for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa's strategy to attack MSU's interior defense paid off, and they were able to secure a 12-point halftime lead. MSU struggled to find answers for Iowa's offensive prowess, allowing the Hawkeyes to build an early lead.

In the second half, MSU attempted to attack Iowa's interior and narrow the deficit. They managed to make some progress but were unable to maintain momentum, ultimately suffering their second Big Ten home loss.

The Spartans will now host Ohio State for their only meeting this season. The defeat against Iowa was a setback, but MSU will look to regroup and come back stronger in their upcoming games.