3’s company As 3-pointers start to fall, Spartans add complexity in March

MSU BASKETBALL

Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) gestures after hitting a three-point basket against Bryant in the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, in Cleveland. SUE OGROCKI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Connor Earegood

The Detroit News

CLEVELAND >> Michigan State’s 3-point shooting may have arrived, and it couldn’t have picked a better time to show up.

After a season of searching for its outside shot, No. 2 seed Michigan State found a big boost in Friday’s 87-62 win over Bryant to start the NCAA Tournament. A 10-for-26 3-point shooting performance played a big role in the win. And as the Spartans eye a deep run in the postseason, this burgeoning area of their game might make them an even more dangerous matchup. That is, if they maintain excellence in the other facets that have gotten them this far in the season.

In Friday’s win, Michigan State hit double-digit 3-pointers for the first time since the Dec. 4 win at Minnesota. Ten makes on 26 shots steered the offense late. Seven of those came in the second half, when the Spartans ran up the score to turn a shaky start into a confident blowout.

“I felt like we really were shooting well from 3,” said guard Jase Richardson, who shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. “I mean, there were (a) couple bad shots, free throws we didn’t hit. But I definitely think if we shoot the ball well, we can do some stuff, but we still got to come out defensively and do what we do.”

The long-range deluge arrived about two minutes into the second half, when Jaden Akins (2-for-10) and Jeremy Fears Jr. (1-for-4) hit back-to-back 3s. Richardson and Tre Holloman joined the perimeter party soon after, with Holloman the most efficient (4-for-5) among the guards.

Good shooting arrived at a good time for Michigan State, both in the context of the NCAA Tournament it hopes to go far in, as well as a first-round game that got a little messy in the first half. A 6-for-11 start at the free-throw line showed warts that continue to grow down the stretch, while execution errors — like a traveling call and a charge — allowed Bryant to hang around at halftime.

“We didn’t do the things we needed to do (in the) first half,” Fears said. “We missed open shots, free throws, and they were just playing tougher than us at that moment. So just going into the second half, Jaden hit