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Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Veteran college basketball coach Tom Izzo threatened to bench upperclassman who were in Michigan State's starting lineup for their season-opening upset loss to James Madison, citing turnovers, lack of effort and more. Izzo made the comments at his postgame news conference after the No. 4 Spartans' 79-76 setback to the unranked Dukes on Monday in East Lansing, Mich.
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"I don't have a good answer why three juniors and seniors played like they played, but I also don't care, because I'll play some freshmen then," Izzo told reporters. "Let the controversy begin."
Redshirt junior guard/forward Terrence Edwards Jr. and freshman forward T.J. Bickerstaff scored 24 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Dukes to the first major upset of the 2023 men's college basketball season.
The Spartans made just 1 of 20 attempts from 3-point range in the overtime loss at the Breslin Center. The Dukes made eight shots from downtown, led by as many as 13 points and allowed just one Spartans starter to reach double figures in scoring.
"What a heck of a game for the first game of the year," Dukes coach Mark Byington told reporters. "I would have been proud of our guys if we won or lost that.
"I was just proud of the way we had resilience, stuck together and believed in each other. I learned a lot about our team."
The Dukes raced out to a 7-2 run off the tip off. They pushed their lead to 20-7 about seven minutes later. The Spartans rallied, but still trailed 37-33 at halftime.
Spartans senior forward Malik Hall made the first two shots of the second half, tying the game. The Spartans took their first lead on a jumper from junior guard Jade Akins about five minutes into the second half.
They later used a 10-0 run to take a 54-48 edge. The Dukes rallied with an 8-2 run and went on to force overtime on a Bickerstaff jumper with 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
Senior guard Tyson Walker made two free throws for the first points of overtime. Edwards answered with a 3-pointer for the Dukes. He then made two free throws for a 73-70 edge and the Dukes never trailed again.
Spartans freshman forward Coen Carr tied the score with a free throw with 1:18 remaining. Edwards responded with a layup for a two-point edge. Walker made a free throw 19 seconds later, but Dukes junior forward Raekwon Horton made a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining for the final edge.
Bickerstaff sank a free throw with two seconds remaining before the Dukes forced a steal on the Spartans' final possession, icing the upset victory.
Edwards made 5 of 13 shots and was 12 of 13 from the free throw line for the Dukes. Bickerstaff totaled 14 rebounds, in addition to his 21 points.
Walker made 12 of 26 shots and 11 of 17 free throws en route to a game-high 35 points for the Spartans. He also logged six steals, five rebounds and three assists. Carr scored 14 off the Spartans bench.
"I hope they respond by being ticked off," Izzo said of the Spartans. "I hope they respond by playing harder and more physical."
The Spartans (0-1) will host Southern Indiana (0-1) at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday in East Lansing. The Dukes (1-0) will face Kent State (1-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Kent, Ohio.
