MSU basketball drops second straight exhibition game, loses at Marquette

Michigan State basketball has some work to do if they're going to live up to their preseason expectations.The Spartans dropped their second straight exhibition game on Sunday afternoon, losing at Marquette by the final score of 86-79. Michigan State essentially trailed the entire game, being down by as many as 17 points in the second half. This loss comes a few days after the Spartans lost to UConn in a home exhibition matchup.Michigan State started off fine but then things took a turn halfway through the first half. Marquette finished the opening frame strong to carry a 12-point lead into the break.The Spartans were never able to really make it a game in the second half, with the Golden Eagles never surrendering the lead. Michigan State chipped away at the lead late but the game was in hand by then for Marquette.Michigan State struggled from the field in the first half, and ultimately shot 39% from the field in the game. They also had 13 turnovers.The Spartans were led in scoring by true freshman Jasiah Jervis, who had 19 points. Jordan Scott and Jeremy Fears Jr. were right behind him with 18 points each.Michigan State will now turn its focus to the regular season, with their season-opener coming on November 2 against Quinnipiac.Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU basketball drops second straight exhibition game, loses at Marquette