EAST LANSING — Nick Ward went out, and Michigan State got to learn what life would be like without their big man.
But it was little man Cassius Winston who made the biggest impact for the Spartans.
MSU's 6-foot point guard scored 14 points in the first 3-plus minutes of the second half, including three straight 3-pointers, to lift the 11th-ranked Spartans to a 80-59 victory over Louisiana Monroe on Wednesday night at Breslin Center.
“We’re a talented team, so Nick was missed out there. But we just gotta figure out a way to win,” said Winston, who finished with a team-high 23 points on 9 of 22 shooting to go with five rebounds and three assists.