UConn beats Michigan State 78-70 in men’s basketball exhibition
Nik Khamenia scored 19 points as UConn pulled away in the second half and held off a late Michigan State push in East Lansing.
UConn beat Michigan State 78-70 in a men’s basketball exhibition at Breslin Center in East Lansing on October 20, 2026. Nik Khamenia scored a team-high 19 points as the Huskies built a second-half lead and held off a late Spartans push. The result gives UConn a road win in its preseason preparations, though the game did not count toward the standings.
How UConn built its second-half lead
UConn shot 16-for-28 from the field in the second half, including 6-for-12 from three-point range, CT Insider reported. Thirteen of those 16 baskets came off assists. Across the game, the Huskies recorded 21 assists on 27 made field goals, a measure of how often their scoring came from shared possession rather than isolated shots.
The Hartford Courant reported that UConn made seven consecutive field goals during one second-half stretch to take its first double-digit lead with less than nine minutes left. Its lead reached 15 with less than six minutes to play. Freshman Colben Landrew scored 13 points and collected five rebounds in 31 minutes, according to the Courant.
Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. led all scorers with 23 points, CT Insider reported. The Courant said he scored 13 of them in the final six minutes as the Spartans narrowed the gap. Khamenia answered with a spinning jumper with 1:09 remaining, according to CT Insider, helping UConn protect its lead.
Michigan State’s shooting and UConn’s foul trouble
Michigan State made just three of 20 attempts from beyond the arc. The Courant put the Spartans’ overall field-goal shooting at 39.6%, while reporting that UConn shot 47.4% for the game and made 10 of 25 three-pointers. Michigan State’s athletics site lists the October 20 exhibition as a 78-70 UConn win.
UConn had problems at the foul line and in the middle despite the win. CT Insider reported that the Huskies made 14 of 22 free throws and that starting center Na’jai Hines fouled out, the second consecutive exhibition in which UConn’s starting center had done so. Hines scored eight points after returning to the starting lineup, according to the report.
The Courant reported that UConn, ranked No. 4 in the AP preseason poll, is due to finish its preseason schedule against Purdue at PeoplesBank Arena on Tuesday. The Michigan State game offered a demanding road setting for the Huskies, but its exhibition status means the 78-70 score is a preseason result.
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Sources and context
- UConn men's basketball team impressive in intense exhibition win over Michigan StateCT Insider, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Nik Khamenia, UConn men impress in preseason road win at Michigan StateHartford Courant
- Michigan State University Athletics - Official Athletics WebsiteMichigan State University Athletics
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.