Kennedy Blair and the Michigan State Spartans Handle Business in Toledo, 72-64

It was a battle, but the Spartans were able to pull off the road victory, heading south to Toledo and coming away with a 72-64 win.

Michigan State traveled to Toledo in a rare matchup in which a Power Four school hits the road to face a MAC opponent, giving the Spartans a real taste of a hard-fought road game. On paper, you might not think much of this MAC road trip, but you would be mistaken.

Toledo has ranked among the top 30 in attendance in women's college basketball for the past 15 years, showcasing the passion surrounding its program. The fans came out in droves to watch their Rockets take on the Spartans.

Unfortunately for the Rockets and their fans, and very fortunately for Spartan fans and the Lady Spartans, Kennedy Blair plays basketball for Michigan State.

Blair unloaded a barrage of made shots, tough defense and passionate rebounding.

Blair excelled last season and finished second on the team in scoring during the season opener. Although basketball is a team game and winning is what ultimately matters, Blair seemed to metaphorically reintroduce herself to the world as the leader of the Spartans' women's basketball team and one of, if not the best, point guards in women's college basketball.

If Blair is the head of this team, the rest of the body will go as she does. And right now, Blair is the absolute star of this team.

When she gets the ball in her hands, it's impossible to take your eyes off her. She plays with a different kind of force: faster, smarter and stronger than anyone else on the court.

Blair finished with a double-double, leading the team in points (28), rebounds (11), assists (4) and plus/minus (+13). She more than doubled the scoring output of the next-highest Spartan. Blair shot 9-for-19 from the field and 10-for-14 from the free-throw line.

But it wasn't just the Kennedy Blair show, even if she was undoubtedly the star.

The Lady Spartans received plenty of help, with nine total players seeing the floor and eight getting on the scoresheet. Theryn Hallock finished second on the team in scoring with 14 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field, 1-for-4 from three-point range and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. She added six rebounds, two assists and an incredible team-high six steals, looking more like a pickpocket at times.

Tabitha Betson may have scored just five points against a strong Toledo defense, but she showed the same aggression and passion as Blair on the boards. Betson finished second on the team with eight rebounds.

The Spartans' starters collectively shot just 1-for-11 from three-point range, an area they will need to improve moving forward. Fortunately, the bench provided a boost from beyond the arc, knocking down three triples. Emma Broliron led the way with two, while Amy Terrian, the team's leading scorer in the season opener, added one of her own.

Kennedy Blair and the 2-0 Michigan State Spartans will head back to East Lansing to host the Oakland Grizzlies on Wednesday, November 11, for the Hoops for Troops game.