Michigan State basketball: Must-see reactions to Davis Smith scoring at Michigan (Video)

Davis Smith came in at the end of the first half and gave Michigan State basketball a lead. His teammates, and Tom Izzo, loved it.

Michigan State basketball just got a crucial 73-63 win against Michigan in Ann Arbor and the positive vibes are riding high right now. There are a lot of things to feel good about after this game, but one play that may have gone unnoticed might be the most special.

Senior guard Davis Smith doesn’t see the floor often for Michigan State. That’s why it was very surprising to see him check in late in the first half. But with all the foul trouble MSU had with its guards, Tom Izzo’s options were limited.

Smith didn’t just come into the game, he excelled. He even scored two points, which were more important than you might think. Smith hit two free throws at the end of the first half, which gave MSU a two-point halftime lead. This was on the heels of Michigan storming back after the Spartans had a nine-point lead. Having the lead at the half is huge for momentum’s sake, and Smith stepped up and gave MSU just that when momentum was favoring Michigan.

The entire team took notice of this, and were extremely happy for Davis after the game. Let’s take a look at some of the awesome quotes from the team after the game, as well as this celebration in the locker room.

Moments that matter 👏@DavisSatchel1 pic.twitter.com/lbkQZDYvpa

— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) February 18, 2024

Reactions to Davis Smith scoring against Michigan

Malik Hall, one of this team’s leaders, knows how important these free throws were for the game. Hall shared that “If you know basketball, watch basketball, you know how important a lead at halftime is.“

Tom Izzo even spoke on this moment, and was a little emotional when doing so. Izzo said it was “One of those scenes that keep you coaching.”

And the best reaction of them all, was from Davis Smith himself, who said this was his “No. 1 (moment) for sure.” Smith also continued, “Anything Michigan-related for me is No. 1. Being able to do this in this game is a dream.”

Beating Michigan in any way is always a special moment. Winning in Ann Arbor makes it even better. But doing it in the fashion that Michigan State did, with the contributions from the entire team, makes it that much sweeter.