Michigan State University
Lamar
Spartans Down Lamar, 80-71
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 1, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Marcus Taylor had 17 points and eight assists as No. 22 Michigan State beat Lamar 80-71 Saturday night in the championship game of the Spartan Coca-Cola Classic.
Adam Ballinger added 12 points and 11 rebounds, Kelvin Torbert scored 13 points, Adam Wolfe had 11 points, and Chris Hill 10 for the balanced Spartans (4-2).
Michigan State won its 48th straight game at Breslin Center, five shy of Minnesota's Big Ten record for consecutive home victories.
Damany Hendrix led Lamar (2-3) with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
A 16-0 run midway through the second half was the difference in the title game, as Michigan State earned its sixth straight Classic title and 16th in the last 20 years.
The Cardinals, coached by former Michigan State assistant Mike Deane, finished the game on a 19-4 run but it wasn't enough.
Michigan State raced to an 11-2 lead and were up by 13 three times in a 43-33 first half. Ballinger had eight points and eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
Lamar cut the deficit to seven twice early in the second half, but the Spartans answered with two 3-pointers by Taylor and one by Chris Hill to lead 63-52.
Taylor, who won the tournament's outstanding player, had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in Friday's 81-68 semifinal win over Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne.
Taylor, Ballinger, Wolfe, Hill and Hendriz were joined were joined on a six-player all-Classic team by Errick Greene, who had 30 points to lead Maine over IPFW 73-65 in Saturday's consolation game.
