Kohler shines, but ‘little things’ cost Spartans in 90–80 loss at Michigan

ANN ARBOR – Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler delivered one of his most efficient performances of the season Sunday night, but it came in a frustrating result as Michigan pulled away late for a 90–80 victory.

Kohler scored 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds, and added three assists in 33 minutes. He also finished with a block and did not commit a turnover, producing one of the most complete stat lines of the night for Michigan State.

His scoring efficiency was particularly notable. Kohler hit 76.9 percent of his field goals and knocked down two of his four attempts from three-point range, helping anchor a Michigan State offense that often found success attacking the interior.

As a team, the Spartans scored 40 points in the paint and finished 10-for-16 on layups while converting all six of their dunk attempts. They also generated 11 fast-break points and posted a solid offensive efficiency number of 1.159 points per possession.

Those numbers, Kohler said afterward, reflected an approach that was noticeably different from the Spartans’ previous game vs the Wolverines in East Lansing.

“I feel like last time we (played), we didn't have the right energy going into the game,” Kohler said. “And I felt like in this game, everyone was on the same page and really attacking first, like we didn't last time.”

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