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Highlights of Michigan State’s Italy trip-opening win over Basket Fiorentina

Tom Izzo

AP Photo

AP

After taking in the sights of Italy for a couple days, Michigan State played the first game of its overseas trip Tuesday evening in Florence. Tom Izzo’s Spartans spent the early part of the game shaking off some travel-induced rust, but once they got going Basket Fiorentina found itself in trouble.

Michigan State won by the final score of 98-54, with Bryn Forbes scoring 18 points to lead a balanced attack. Above are some highlights from the game, as well as words from Izzo on how things went. Michigan State, which is working to find offensive options to account for the loss of Travis Trice and Branden Dawson, assisted on 25 of their 38 made field goals and shot nearly 58 percent from the field.

Forbes and fellow senior Denzel Valentine will be key players for the Spartans in 2015-16 and the same goes for sophomore point guard Tum Tum Nairn, who finished the game with a game-high eight assists. While it’s difficult to apply stats in these exhibitions to the upcoming season, overseas trips can be helpful in areas such as role definition and the understanding of those roles. That should help the Spartans as they look to not only contend in the Big Ten but make a return trip to the Final Four.

Video credit: Michigan State Athletics