Miles Bridges scored 20 points before limping off the court after injuring his left ankle , casting a pall over No. 2 Michigan State as it beat Stony Brook 93-71 on Sunday night.
"Thank God it's not a high-ankle sprain," coach Tom Izzo said. "It's just a sprain where he rolled it. He'll be day to day."
Bridges stayed in school to chase a national championship instead of cashing in on his potential in the NBA. Three games into his sophomore season, he is hurt.
The Spartans (2-1) bounced back from their loss to top-ranked Duke with a win that will be remembered as being costly if Bridges' injury lingers.
Bridges was fouled with 8:32 left in the game as he went into the lane with the ball and awkwardly planted his left foot, rolling his ankle. After trying to stay in the game to shoot free throws, the preseason All-America player went back to the bench briefly before walking toward the locker room.
"By Tuesday morning, I'll know more," Izzo said. "Miles is tough enough to play through it but we're not going to take any chances."
Nick Ward scored a season-high 22 points, Joshua Langford had a career-high 19 points and Cassius Winston scored a season-high 13 points and had six assists for the Spartans.
The Seawolves (0-4) led for much of the first half, holding Bridges to two points as they led 22-15 midway through the first half.
Stony Brook's Elijah Olaniyi scored 16, Akwasi Yeboah had 15 points, UC Iroegbu scored 12 and Tyrell Sturdivant added 10 points.
"The biggest positive was coming out and competing for 40 minutes," coach Jeff Boals said. "We kept on fighting. I think we led 12 1/2 minutes in the first half. Our biggest thing was coming out and getting off to a good start, just to build some confidence."
BIG PICTURE
Michigan State: Bridges' health is a key factor for the team, and for himself. Izzo isn't sure how long Bridges will be out.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Spartans will slip in The Associated Press poll after losing to the top-ranked Blue Devils and perhaps because Bridges is injured.
HUMBLED AT HOME
Michigan State standout freshman Jaren Jackson fouled out in 14 scoreless minutes. He missed his only shot, a 3-pointer, and had a team-high three turnovers.
"This might be the only time in that kid's career he doesn't score," Boals said. "He is an unbelievable talent."
The 6-foot-11 Jackson, rated as one of the top prospects for the 2018 NBA draft, was averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds.
"Jaren's a great player, but he is a young player," Langford said. "He's way ahead of where I was."
UP NEXT
Michigan State: Plays DePaul on Thursday night in Oregon at the Phil Knight Invitational. The Spartans will play the Ducks or Connecticut in the semifinals on Friday and could face No. 9 North Carolina on Sunday.
"It's not the biggest stage like Duke was, but it's time to get back to what we lost against Duke," Langford said.
