Michigan State tops Eastern Michigan 72-40 on road

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help Michigan State beat Eastern Michigan 72-40 Sunday.

The Spartans (4-2) have won four straight against lackluster opponents after opening with losses to North Carolina on an aircraft carrier in San Diego and against Duke in New York.

The Eagles (4-2) had won three in a row.

Michigan State gave up the first basket in its first game as a visitor this season, then scored 10 straight to take control for good. The Spartans led 25-13 at halftime, opened the second half with a run and coasted to a lopsided victory.

Michigan State’s Adreian Payne had 12 points and eight rebounds and Keith Appling had 11 points and five assists against the overmatched Eagles.

The Spartans didn’t have a double-digit scorer against the Eagles until Payne scored on a baseline hook with about 14 minutes left. Brandon Wood scored their first five points of the game and finished with nine.

Eastern Michigan’s J.R. Sims scored 14 points for an offensively-challenged team that made fewer than 30 percent of its shots. None of Sims’ teammates had more than six points.

The Eagles are led by first-year coach Rob Murphy. The native of Detroit was hired in April to replace Charles Ramsey, who was fired with a 68-118 record over six seasons. Murphy was a Syracuse assistant coach for Jim Boeheim the previous seven years. Eastern Michigan’s next game is Tuesday on the road against the fifth-ranked Orange.

The Spartans play their next game at home on Wednesday against No. 22 Florida State, which lost to Harvard on Friday and No. 4 Connecticut on Saturday.