INDIANAPOLIS — Butler made things tough for Michigan State basketball in its first visit to Hinkle Fieldhouse in a half-century. So did the hostile sellout crowd.
The Spartans didn’t help themselves at times, either.
But despite the Spartans' unforced turnovers and early missed shots from long range, MSU’s new-look lineup also showed moments of continued promise in a 73-52 victory over Butler in the Gavitt Tipoff Games on Wednesday night.
Freshman shooting guard Max Christie looked dominant at times, going to the basket aggressively off the dribble and hitting from outside to finish with a season-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting.