Michigan State secured a decisive 72-56 victory over Colorado, marking their return to the Maui Invitational for the first time since 2019. Jase Richardson made a significant impact off the bench, contributing 13 points to the Spartans’ success.
With this win, the Spartans improved to a 5-1 record and participated in their sixth Maui Invitational, showcasing their long-standing tradition under the guidance of coach Tom Izzo.
Colorado, now 4-1, started strong in their first away game, taking an early lead of 16-13 after a 6-2 run, highlighted by a dunk from Bangot Dak. Despite Julian Hammond III narrowing the gap to 25-23 with a jumper, Michigan State quickly regained control and began to pull away.
Richardson’s jumper with 6:06 remaining in the first half ignited a 9-0 run for the Spartans, which included a three-point play from Tre Holloman and a pair of free throws from Xavier Booker. This surge extended Michigan State’s lead to 11 points. Trevor Baskin halted the run with a jumper, but Szymon Zapala responded with a dunk and two free throws, pushing the Spartans to a 38-25 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, Michigan State extended their lead to as much as 19 points, demonstrating their depth and resilience.
Richardson was the standout for the Spartans, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the field and one of his two three-point attempts. He led a strong bench performance that accounted for 40 points. Overall, Michigan State shot 30-of-61 from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, making only 2-of-21 attempts.
For Colorado, Hammond led the scoring with 15 points and four assists, while Elijah Malone added 14 points. The Buffaloes managed just 20-of-54 shooting (37%), including a disappointing 4-of-19 from three-point range.
Next, Michigan State will face Memphis, who pulled off an upset against No. 2 UConn, while Colorado will take on the Huskies in the opening game on Tuesday.
