The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The injury plagued and slumping Michigan State Spartans received a lift off their bench from Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr to open conference play on a winning note.

Nairn tied his career high for the second time this season with 13 points and also added four rebounds and three assists in the Spartans’ 75-74 overtime win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Miami, on Tuesday night.

Nairn’s three-pointer from the top of the key with 2:33 left to play in overtime gave the Spartans breathing room at 71-68. He finished 5-11 from the field, including 2-5 from beyond the arch.

Spartans senior guard and former Minnesota commit Alvin Ellis III made two free throws with 10.6 seconds left to finish with a career-high 20 points to give the Spartans the lead for good.

His free throws capped a 13- point second half comeback, as the Spartans emerged with a win in their first overtime game of the season.

Minnesota led by as much as 15 in the first half and held a 13-point advantage at the break.

The Spartans went on a 7-0 run to open the second half and cut the deficit to 39-31.

MSU later used an 18-3 run to go up 58-57 and take its first lead since 6-5. It was the latest chapter in a heated Big Ten rivalry that has produced several close finishes in recent years.

The Spartans and Golden Gophers went to overtime for the third time in the last four meetings. It was also Michigan State’s first overtime game of the season. The game featured nine ties and 13 lead changes.

The Spartans improved to 9-5 while the Golden Gophers fell to 12-2.

The Spartans will continue conference play when they host Northwestern Wildcats, currently in the midst of a nine-game winning streak, on Friday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.

Wildcats also opened Big Ten play with a win, an 87-77 decision over the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Tuesday’s offensive outburst from Nairn was a timely one for the Spartans who have suffered numerous injuries this season and are still without leading scorer and rebounder, freshman forward Miles Bridges – currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

Prior to the matchup against Minnesota, Spartans head coach Tom Izzo revealed that Nairn is currently wearing a precautionary walking boot due to “a little stiffness in his foot.”

He reiterated the soreness was not related to the plantar fasciitis that sidelined Nairn for seven games last year and limited him for much of conference play.

The junior guard did not miss any practice time during the week.

“(Team doctors) don’t want it to get to anything, so it was totally precautionary,” Izzo said. “I think he’ll be fine, I really do.”

Tuesday’s win was also the first time Nairn has posted double digit scoring since last month’s Battle 4 Atlantis.

Nairn scored 13 points and set a new career high with three, three- point field goals made in the Spartans’ 73-62 win over the St John’s Red Storm. He originally set the career high during his sophomore season when he posted 13 points and eight assists against Boston College last season.