It was an 80-59 victory for Michigan State over Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday night but the Spartans’ rout of the Warhawks was overshadowed by Nick Ward’s non-contact injury early in the first half.
Michigan State was limited on big men already as Kenny Goins, Kyle Ahrens, Xavier Tillman and Marcus Bingham Jr. were the only other forwards that have seen extended minutes this season. Without Ward, the Spartans were forced to play small ball, and they did just that, excelling in the second half thanks to a 23-point breakout by Cassius Winston.
The junior big man played just five minutes, scoring four points with three rebounds before going down, holding his leg and hobbling gingerly off the court.