EAST LANSING, Mich. – Branden Dawson got off to a great start in the first few minutes and scored a career-high 16 points to lead No. 19 Michigan State past UMKC 89-54 on Monday night.
Dawson had eight quick points and finished 8 for 12 from the field for the Spartans (10-2), who have won 10 straight.
Brandon Wood also had 16 points, including 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range, as Michigan State grabbed a 16-2 lead and never led by fewer than 10 points again.
Draymond Green added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Spartans, his sixth double-double this season, while Adreian Payne had 11 points.
Trinity Hall scored 16 points and Kirk Korver 11 for the Kangaroos (7-6), who had won six of seven after a 46-point loss at Wisconsin.
Michigan State led 21-7 midway through the first half, with Dawson singlehandedly outscoring UMKC by one.
The highlight of the game, a Green-to-Dawson alley-oop dunk, reflected the Spartans' obvious edge in size and athleticism.
But Michigan State had clear advantages in most aspects of play and shot 61 percent from the field to UMKC's 38 percent.
The Spartans shot 57 percent beyond the arc, compared to 29 percent for the Kangaroos, and had 25 assists on 35 baskets, including eight by Keith Appling.
The Big Ten's top rebounding team also led 37-27 in that department, despite collecting just nine offensive boards.
Though it was 0 for 4 at the foul line in the first half, Michigan State had a 40-20 lead and quickly expanded the margin to 30, and then 43.
The Spartans' only scare came when center Derrick Nix hurt his left ankle with 15:52 left and was helped from the court to the training room. But the crowd roared when he walked back to the bench a few minutes later.
Michigan State's biggest problem again came at the foul line, where it missed 11 of 22, including Green's two tries after a technical foul on the UMKC bench.
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