EAST LANSING — Points were pretty easy to come by at the Breslin Center on Friday night.

No. 5 Michigan State used a big early run and coasted from there (perhaps too much so at times) to a 106-72, foul-filled victory over Northern Iowa. Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 24 points with nine assists, and Jasiah Jervis provided 20 points himself. The Spartans also set a program record with 18 made three-pointers.

This victory takes MSU to 4-0 on its young season, and the Spartans will likely be ranked no lower than third nationally when the next AP Poll is released on Monday afternoon. Michigan State's next game is a road test against current No. 11 Tennessee on Tuesday.

Here are some key takeaways from East Lansing:

A Good Start and End, A Tough Middle

The result of this game felt pretty in the bag by the first media timeout. Some of it was just shots going down for Michigan State, but the intensity the Spartans came out with after the opening tip was unexpected. This was both a letdown and a lookahead spot for MSU, with Friday's game sandwiched between the win over Duke and next Tuesday's game at No. 11 Tennessee.

Northern Iowa also wasn't a total pushover opponent. The Panthers made the NCAA Tournament last year as a 12 seed, and while they're completely different top to bottom this year, they still entered ranked 144th on KenPom. That's high enough that most high-majors avoid scheduling you (Kansas is the only other major opponent UNI plays this year).

It says something that this team was able to come down from the high of beating Duke quickly enough to handle their business with ease on Friday. Tom Izzo said on Thursday that the team had some travel issues on the way back from Chicago and didn't get back to East Lansing until 3 a.m. on Friday morning, leading to them having a lighter day during Day 1 of a two-day prep. That only makes Friday's start more impressive.

Then there's the rest of the game, though. Northern Iowa then gave Michigan State the push it probably should've been offering to start the game, trimming a 24-point deficit at one point down to 11 during the second half. MSU's defense suddenly seemed a lot more lackadaisical, cracking the door open for just a bit.

The Spartans still prevented anyone from sweating, though. Michigan State used a huge 23-1 run that started about midway through the second half to pull away for good and eventually settle at that pretty comfortable margin of victory.

Foul Fest Mucks Up Things

Truthfully, how does one call 33 fouls in a single half of basketball? That's (somehow) precisely what happened during the first 20 minutes of this game, helping lead to a high-scoring affair for both squads. It was truly remarkable work (can you sense the sarcasm?). That's one whistle or stoppage every 36 seconds, which is pretty ridiculous.

It would be one thing if it were an ultra-physical, grimy, '90s-esque basketball game. This was not entirely that. There were just not 33 plays worthy of a complete stoppage or a foul during that first half, and the officiating completely disrupted the overall flow of the game. Nobody is ever there to see whistles for fouls and dozens and dozens of free throws, especially when it's Michigan State-Northern Iowa.

That's my officiating rant for the day. Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Shooting Depth Remains Impressive

When play was actually allowed to go on, what also stood out about the Spartans was the team's three-point shooting. It was a big reason the team got to hit cruise control pretty early, and it all wound up becoming a record-setting night.

Shooting wasn't at all a concern for this team, but it really feels like a sight to behold when the shots from deep are falling. MSU has as many shooters as it has had in recent years, but the way those players can get their shots feels unique, too. Jordan Scott hit a pull-up three at one point, which is not something he's really shown off during his time in East Lansing. Jervis hit a catch-and-shoot, moving three early in the second half.

Michigan State cannot shoot the way it did on Friday every single night, but the fact that it can do this on the right night is something teams have to account for. It can also be an escape hatch on the right night if other things (such as the Spartans' defense) are not firing on all cylinders.