PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo can see the positives and negatives all jumbled together for his 24th-ranked Spartans, from the good stretches where the ball goes inside to the bad ones when his team fires up quick 3-point attempts.Its still not smooth for us, the Hall of Fame coach said after Wednesdays 73-62 victory over St. Johns in the Battle 4 Atlantis. It might not be for a while.Freshman Miles Bridges had 22 points and a season-high 15 rebounds to lead the Spartans (3-2), who used a 17-4 burst midway through the second half to pull away late and build a 67-53 lead with about 2 1/2 minutes left.Eron Harris added 14 points for the Spartans, while Tum Tum Nairn Jr. -- a native of nearby Nassau -- matched his career high of 13 points in his return to the Bahamas.Michigan State has had a bumpy start to the season, starting with a loss to Arizona on a last-second basket in the opener. The Spartans managed just 48 points in a loss to current No. 1 Kentucky and barely beat Florida Gulf Coast at home over the weekend. Its part of a tough opening month that concludes with a trip to preseason No. 1 Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.Theres some frustrating moments, and its not all their fault, Izzo said. Its just the cards weve been dealt. ... Im asking a lot of these guys. And you know what? Im going to keep demanding it because thats what we do here.Marcus LoVett scored 20 points to lead the Red Storm (2-2), who shot around 31 percent and couldnt answer Michigan States clinching push.We tried everything -- inside, outside, we tried pick and roll, St. Johns coach Chris Mullin said. We got enough looks but didnt knock any down. When you shoot 30 percent, you arent going to win a game.BIG PICTURESt. Johns: When LoVett was hitting (13 points after halftime), St. Johns was right with Michigan State. But the Red Storm struggled most of the game, while Mullin particularly noted the teams eight assists as a sign of how the ball stuck.Thats really not the kind of game I want to play, Mullin said.Michigan State: The performance of Bridges and fellow freshman Nick Ward could be a welcome sign of hope for Michigan States frontcourt, which is down two big men due to knee injuries. Ward finished with nine points and a season-high 11 rebounds, and the Spartans desperately need more games like that from them going forward.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Spartans have slid significantly in the AP Top 25 from their No. 12 preseason spot, though they could start climbing again by getting through an Atlantis field that also includes No. 10 Louisville and No. 20 Baylor.DOMINANT BRIDGESThe 6-foot-7 Bridges had a double-double by halftime and finished 9 of 18 from the field, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range. He had three assists and one block in 35 minutes.Im just doing whatever Coach wants me to do, Bridges said. Wherever he puts me at, Im trying to create for others, score for myself, rebound. Like I said, if people double-team me, I can get my teammates open. Thats what I like to do: I like to see my teammates score more than I do.TUM TUMS BIG NIGHTNairn, a 5-foot-10 junior, had scored nine points through the first four games but blew past that with 11 after halftime. He hit 3 of 4 3-point attempts after never hitting more than one in any game in his career.There was also his highlight-reel moment when he threw down a huge dunk in transition to thrill the large gathering of family and friends on hand to catch his return to the Bahamas.UP NEXTSt. Johns: The Red Storm will face VCU on Thursday in the losers bracket on Day 2 of the three-games-in-three-days event.Michigan State: The Spartans advanced to Thursdays semifinals to face No. 20 Baylor, which beat VCU earlier Wednesday.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25Pirates Jerseys 2019 . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. Pirates Jerseys China . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/ . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Stitched Pirates Jerseys . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. Pirates Jerseys 2020 . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. ROCHESTER, Ind. -- Two Notre Dame football players arrested on marijuana charges may avoid jail time and criminal records after reaching plea bargains with prosecutors.Running back Dexter Williams and defensive back Ashton White each pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. The two sophomores were among five players who were arrested after an Aug. 19 traffic stop along U.S. 31 in Indiana.Under the plea agreement, White and Williamms would enter a diversion program that would dismiss their cases after they served one year of probation.dddddddddddd If they failed to meet required conditions, a judge could enter convictions and send them to jail.The South Bend Tribune reports that cases remain pending against the three other current or former players who were arrested. ' ' '