Michigan State Spartans BASKETBALL Schedule - 2010-11

Michigan State Spartans BASKETBALL Schedule - 2010-11


MSU Regular Season Schedule and Results

2010-11 Schedule

____Date____	_Time (ET)_	_______Opponent_______		___Result___	___Score____	__Stories__
Fri. Nov. 12	8:30 p.m.		Eastern Michigan	(1-0) (0-0)	W 96-66	Recap | Box
Tue. Nov. 16	10:00 p.m.		South Carolina	(2-0) (0-0)	W 82-73	Recap | Box
Mon. Nov. 22	9:30 p.m.	at	Chaminade	(3-0) (0-0)	W 82-74	Recap | Box
Tue. Nov. 23	9:30 p.m.	at	Connecticut	(3-1) (0-0)	L 67-70	Recap | Box
Wed. Nov. 24	9:30 p.m.		Washington	(4-1) (0-0)	W 76-71	Recap | Box
Sun. Nov. 28	1:00 p.m.		Tennessee Tech	(5-1) (0-0)	W 73-55	Recap | Box
Wed. Dec. 01	9:30 p.m.	at	Duke	(5-2) (0-0)	L 79-84	Recap | Box
Sat. Dec. 04	1:30 p.m.		Bowling Green	(6-2) (0-0)	W 74-39	Recap | Box
Tue. Dec. 07	9:00 p.m.	at	Syracuse	(6-3) (0-0)	L 58-72	Recap | Box
Sat. Dec. 11	12:30 p.m.		Oakland	(7-3) (0-0)	W 77-76	Recap | Box
Sat. Dec. 18	6:30 p.m.		Prairie View A&M	(8-3) (0-0)	W 90-51	Recap | Box
Wed. Dec. 22	7:00 p.m.		Texas	(8-4) (0-0)	L 55-67	Recap | Box
Fri. Dec. 31	4:00 p.m.		Minnesota	(9-4) (1-0)	W 71-62	Recap | Box
Mon. Jan. 03	7:30 p.m.	at	Northwestern	(10-4) (2-0)	W 65-62	Recap | Box
Sat. Jan. 08	1:00 p.m.	at	Penn State	(10-5) (2-1)	L 62-66	Recap | Box
Tue. Jan. 11	7:00 p.m.		Wisconsin	(11-5) (3-1)	W 64-61 (OT)	Recap | Box
Sat. Jan. 15	1:00 p.m.		Northwestern	-	-	Tickets
Tue. Jan. 18	7:00 p.m.	at	Illinois	-	-	Tickets
Sat. Jan. 22	9:00 p.m.	at	Purdue	-	-	Tickets
Thu. Jan. 27	7:00 p.m.		Michigan	-	-	Tickets
Sun. Jan. 30	6:00 p.m.		Indiana	-	-	Tickets
Wed. Feb. 02	8:35 p.m.	at	Iowa	-	-	Tickets
Sun. Feb. 06	1:00 p.m.	at	Wisconsin	-	-	Tickets
Thu. Feb. 10	7:00 p.m.		Penn State	-	-	Tickets
Tue. Feb. 15	9:00 p.m.	at	Ohio State	-	-	-
Sat. Feb. 19	9:00 p.m.		Illinois	-	-	Tickets
Tue. Feb. 22	9:00 p.m.	at	Minnesota	-	-	Tickets
Sat. Feb. 26	12:00 a.m.		Purdue	-	-	Tickets
Wed. Mar. 02	6:30 p.m.		Iowa	-	-	Tickets
Sat. Mar. 05	2:00 p.m.	at	Michigan	-	-	Tickets

© 2010 STATS LLC




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No. 2 Michigan State Rolls Past Eastern Michigan

The Spartans put the game out of reach early.

Nov. 12, 2010
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | AP Gallery | Photo Gallery

Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo PC | Coach Ramsey PC | Austin Thornton | Kalin Lucas
Final Box (PDF Format)
Video Highlights

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State's Kalin Lucas was in midseason form with drives to the basket, pull-up jumpers and crisp passes.

Looks like the surgery Lucas had to repair his ruptured left Achilles' tendon was a success.

Lucas scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half, helping the second-ranked Spartans open the season with a 96-66 victory over Eastern Michigan on Friday night in a game he was motivated to play.

"I had to be able to play the first game," he said.

Lucas averaged 19 points in two preseason games and was sharp against the Eagles, making five assists without a turnover in the first half in his first game that counted since he got hurt in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Lucas has been on the court for about 1 1/2 months after being off it for about six months.

"Considering the severity of his injury, I thought he did an incredible job," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said.

Lucas had plenty of help.

Durrell Summers had 17 points, freshman Keith Appling scored 14, Draymond Green had 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Freshmen Adreian Payne and Austin Thornton both added 10 points.

Brandon Bowdry had a career-high 32 points and matched a personal best with 15 rebounds for the Eagles.

"It's a team game," Eastern Michigan coach Charles Ramsey said. "I applaud his effort - 32 and 15 - that's what he's capable of, but we need to get him more help."

Eastern Michigan didn't have a double-digit scorer to join Bowdry until late in the game. Antonio Green finished with 12 points. Bowdry made just 10 of 28 shots for a team that connected on fewer than 32 percent of its attempts.

The Spartans easily beat Eastern Michigan, but their schedule is about to get tougher. They host South Carolina on Tuesday night, might play No. 11 Kentucky in the Maui Invitational, travel to face top-ranked Duke and play No. 10 Syracuse and Texas.

"I don't feel comfortable for where we are and where we need to be" Izzo said.

Michigan State is expected to be among the nation's best, returning seven of the top nine scorers from last season's team that advanced to a second straight Final Four - and sixth in 12 years - and repeated as Big Ten champions.

Its success will largely be tied to health because a handful of players are recovering from surgeries.

"If (Lucas) stays healthy, they're going to be very good," Ramsey said.

Lucas made a driving layup to put the Spartans ahead 19-8 and they led by as much as 22 in the first half that ended with them ahead 49-33. They built and maintained a 20-plus point cushion for much of the second half, experimenting with a nine-man rotation that created mismatches all over the court.

Michigan State, though, couldn't stop Bowdry inside or on the perimeter.

The 6-foot-6 Bowdry exposed a weakness created when Raymar Morgan departed after his senior season and Chris Allen was dismissed and transferred to Iowa State. The Spartans simply don't appear to have an answer for quick and talented small forwards.

"On the flip side, we had three or four guys we couldn't guard either," Ramsey said.

Eastern Michigan, coming off its best season in a dozen years, needed a few more players like Bowdry to compete with a team tough to beat anywhere - especially at the Breslin Center.

The Spartans have won 48 straight games against nonconference opponents in East Lansing, dating to a 2003 loss to Duke, and is 39-0 in November at home under Izzo.

No. 2 Spartans Grab Win From South Carolina, 82-73

Draymond Green records double-double in Spartan win.

Nov. 17, 2010

Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2


Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo Press Conference | Delvon Roe | Durrell Summers | Coach Horn Press Conference

Box Score (PDF)

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -Michigan State's Delvon Roe took full advantage of a late-night start against South Carolina.

Roe scored 15 points, had a career-high six assists and grabbed five rebounds -- after performing in a play -- to help the second-ranked Spartans hold off the Gamecocks, 82-73 Tuesday night.

The 10 p.m. EST tipoff allowed Roe, a theatre major, to have a unique night. He played Charles the wrestler in Shakespeare's "As You Like It" in an on-campus performance that started about 2½ hours before the game.

"My nerves were 20 times worse out there than they've ever been around here," Roe said.

Then, Roe put on a show in the opening minutes on the court.

He had a block, an offensive rebound and a backdoor pass early in the game. He had 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and a block by halftime, playing one of his best stretches in three seasons after being slowed by surgeries on both knees.

"It was definitely his best half," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "You can see where he's more explosive."

Roe finished well, too, coming up one point short of his career high and surpassing his personal best in assists.

"He's a good player, who did some good things," South Carolina coach Darrin Horn said. "But the strength of their team is their team. I don't know that they have one stand out guy."

Durrell Summers scored 22, Draymond Green had 18 points, 12 rebounds, a career-high six steals and matched a personal best with four blocks.

The Spartans (2-0) led 42-25 at halftime, but had the lead cut to single digits early in the second half and couldn't pull away because they made too many turnovers, missed a ton of free throws and gave up a lot of 3-pointers.

Freshman Bruce Ellington made a shot from beyond the arc that pulled the Gamecocks (1-1) within six points with 2:13 left to play, but they couldn't get closer.

Ellington finished with 22 points and teammate Sam Muldrow was held to five points and was stunted defensively because of foul trouble.

Michigan State made 19 turnovers -- 14 after halftime -- missed half of its 34 free throws and allowed 11 3-pointers.

The Spartans, who were uncharacteristically outrebounded, will have to play much better to have success next week at the Maui Invitational, where they might play No. 12 Kentucky, and in December at top-ranked Duke and against No. 10 Syracuse in Madison Square Garden.

The Spartans had a scare midway through the second half when star guard Kalin Lucas, coming off surgery on his left Achilles' tendon, gingerly walked off the court after flexing his left foot and ankle.

Lucas didn't stay on the bench long, drawing cheers when he checked back in the game. He had five points -- 13 fewer than he scored in the opener -- and had seven assists without a turnover.

"Kalin hurt his ankle, it wasn't his Achilles," Izzo said. "Anytime he hurts anything down there he's going to have some apprehension."

South Carolina didn't have a double-digit scorer for almost 30 minutes, but finished with three. Brian Richardson scored 11 points and Stephen Spinella finished with 10.

The Spartans won their 49th straight game against a nonconference opponent, dating to a setback versus Duke in 2003, and improved to 40-0 at home in November under Izzo.

"We knew coming into the game the challenge was not just the players versus the players, but 16 years of building a program in this environment, which is tremendous," Horn said. "This is what we want our program to look like, hopefully 12 or 16 years from now, committing to a style of play and recruiting our area well and having kids graduating."

South Carolina's top player, Muldrow, went to the bench with two fouls at the 14:01 mark of the first half and the Spartans took advantage by turning a tie game into an 18-11 lead.

The Gamecocks, though, showed for the first of many times that they weren't overmatched with a run that gave them a 21-19 lead midway through the first half.

Michigan State responded with 14 unanswered points, capped by Roe's reverse layup, and closed the half by outscoring South Carolina 23-4 to take a 17-point lead.

"It was a learning experience for our team," Horn said. "I don't know that we'll play a better team in a better environment, so we'll grow from this."

No. 2 MSU Tops Chaminade, 82-74

Kalin Lucas registered a game-high 28 points with 3 rebounds and an assist

Nov. 22, 2010


Box Score | Photo Gallery

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) - Kalin Lucas had 28 points, Korie Lucious added 13 and No. 2 Michigan State prevented another Chaminade miracle by holding off the Silverswords 82-74 in the first round of the Maui Invitational Monday night.

Chaminade (3-1) is best known for its 1982 win over top-ranked Virginia, still one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history.

Fearless against one of the nation's pre-eminent programs, the Silverswords had another upset in their sites, keeping the Spartans (3-0) on the ropes well into the second half.

Michigan State held its composure against the hometown favorites, though, sticking close before going on a game-deciding run midway through. The Spartans move on to face Connecticut in the semifinals.

Steven Bennett led Chaminade with 20 points and 11 assists, and Mamadou Diarra added 16 points, 12 rebounds and blocked five shots.

Chaminade is loaded with shooters and has done the David-vs-Goliath thing once with its win over Ralph Sampson and the Cavaliers on these same islands. The Division II Silverswords haven't faced a team ranked this high since, though, and didn't figure to match up well with Michigan State.

The Spartans, coming off consecutive Final Fours, are as deep, talented and experienced as any team in the country, a popular pick to win a second national title under coach Tom Izzo.

A walkover waiting to happen, right?

Chaminade didn't think so.

The Silverswords weren't intimated by the big, bad Spartans at all, went right at them even.

Bennett, Chaminade's 5-foot-6 guard/blur, drove fearlessly to the lane to cast shots high off the glass over Michigan State's defenders, confidently stroked in 3-pointers from three feet and more behind the arc.

Diarra, the other half of Chaminade's big-and-tall combination, flicked in a couple of jump hooks, threw down a two-handed dunk and used his 7-foot reach to meet Adreian Payne and Summers at the rim for swats.

A little over halfway through the first half of this supposed blowout, Chaminade appeared ready to ring the upset bell again, leading 33-25 over the shellshocked Spartans.

Michigan State tried to put an end to this potential down-in-history nightmare. Lucious hit a pair of 3s, Lucas pulled up for jumpers and got to the rim, Draymond Green launched himself airborne to steal an inbound pass.

Chaminade still wouldn't go away, answering every Spartans' run with a big 3-pointer or runner in the lane. Even when Diarra missed a rebound slam at the halftime buzzer, the Silverswords were giddy, racing out onto the floor for high-fives and slaps on the back after tying mighty Michigan State 39-all.

It didn't end there.

The Silverswords weren't satisfied with a moral-victory halftime tie and opened the second half still firing, getting three 3-pointers from Hanson in the first 4 minutes to go up 50-45.

Then the Spartans hit the accelerator and ran over Chaminade's hopes.

Turning up the defensive pressure and getting out on the break, Michigan State followed with a 20-3 run, going up 69-53 on Lucas' fastbreak layup with 11 1/2 minutes left.

No. 2 Spartans Fall Short To UConn In Maui, 70-67

Draymond Green scored 22 points to lead Michigan State.

Nov. 23, 2010

Box Score | AP Gallery

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) -Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun joked last week that he still didn't know all his players' names, much less how good they're going to be.

After knocking out a heavyweight in a championship-caliber bout, he - and everyone else, for that matter - should know these young Huskies are for real.

Trading blows in the first half and big shots in the second, Connecticut solidified its return to elite-program status by knocking off No. 2 Michigan State 70-67 in a physical Maui Invitational semifinal on Tuesday.

"We just showed the world we can play," said UConn's Kemba Walker, who scored 30 points and hit a key jumper with less than a minute left.

Boy, did they.

Coming off a disappointing 2009-10 season, Connecticut (4-0) was looking for a prestige-building win.

The Huskies got it, fighting the mighty Spartans every inch every minute, refusing to be pushed around by a team projected to be a national title contender.

Walker had another big scoring night and hit the biggest shot, a fallaway jumper with 52 seconds left. Alex Oriakhi dominated inside for 15 points and 17 rebounds. UConn was good defensively, too, holding one of the nation's best teams to 40 percent shooting.

The Huskies made it interesting by missing five free throws in the final 1:11, but survived Draymond Green's midcourt heave at the buzzer to head into the championship game against No. 8 Kentucky or No. 13 Washington.

"This is an absolute tremendous team win," Calhoun said.

Michigan State (3-1) had three chances to tie in the final 20 seconds, but Green missed two free throws, Kalin Lucas threw a pass to no one on a miscommunication with Durrell Summers and Green was just short on his desperation shot.

The Spartans had more chances than that throughout the game, but struggled to get good looks against UConn's long-and-athletic defense and had some key turnovers late, including two after players fell on slippery spots near midcourt.

"I'm very disappointed with the way we finished," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "We had some things that just didn't work out way."

Green was at his do-it-all best most of the game, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. He kept Michigan State in it with his offensive rebounding in the second half, but was kicking himself for missing those two free throws with 20 seconds left.

"Basically it falls on my shoulders," Green said.

Michigan State opened the tournament by escaping Chaminade's upset list, using a big second-half run to pull out a take-a-deep-breath 82-74 win over a Division II team that had one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history 19 years ago.

Connecticut had a quality win in its Maui opener, getting 29 second-half points from Walker to pull out a four-point win over up-and-coming Wichita State by four.

Even with the Huskies in rebuilding mode, this was a big early season matchup, physical, powerhouse teams from power conferences meeting in paradise.

The atmosphere, quiet in the day's first two games, was juiced for the first semifinal, fans from each team separated by a set of stairs chanting and screaming with every twist, making the high school-sized Lahaina Civic Center feel like an NCAA tournament game.

They got to see the kind of gritty, back-bending defensive game you'd expect from teams in the Big East and Big Ten, too; super athletic players knocking each other to the floor and piling on like offensive lineman for loose balls.

Walker took one of the hardest shots, flying into the photographers behind the basket on a driving layup in the first half. He's used to that kind of contact in the Big East, though, and returned minutes later to knock down a step-back 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer, ending up with 14 points by halftime.

The opening 20 minutes of the game was all about the counterpunch; nine ties and four lead changes, neither team able to make a run.

It ended, fittingly, tied at 34-all after UConn's Shabazz Napier dropped in a long 3-pointer at the buzzer, setting up the final, tension-building flurry that the Huskies pulled out.

"I thought it was an NCAA tournament game or a Big East tournament game - it was that caliber of a game," Calhoun said.

Keep it up and they'll get to experience it again.

No. 2 Spartans Hold Off No. 13 Washington, 76-71

Kalin Lucas scores 29 points to lead Michigan State.

Nov. 24, 2010

Box Score

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) - Kalin Lucas scored 29 points and keyed a second-half rally, helping No. 2 Michigan State salvage a 76-71 win over No. 13 Washington in the third place game of the Maui Invitational on Wednesday.

Michigan State (4-1) trailed by 10 after a turnover-filled first half, but charged back behind Lucas. The senior guard scored seven points during an opening 18-5 run that put the Spartans up 52-49 and hit two game-sealing free throws in the closing seconds after injuring his knee a few minutes earlier.

Washington (3-2) had a superb first half shooting and wasn't bad for the day, but couldn't stop the Spartans in the second half for a second straight tough defeat. Matt Bryan-Amaning had 15 points and Isaiah Thomas added 13 and six assists for the Huskies.

Lucas keyed the big early run in the second half and kept firing. Washington kept answering and the ensuing back-and-forth was filled with 3-pointers, hard drives and dunks in transition.

Michigan State's Durrell Summers, 1-for-9 at the time, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Spartans up 72-68 with just over a minute left. Thomas responded with a tough spin-off-the-glass against three defenders a few seconds later, and the Huskies got the ball back when Draymond Green slipped to the floor and out of bounds.

Green then fouled Bryan-Amaning, who made just 1 of 2 free throws with 13 seconds left. The Huskies were forced to foul and Korie Lucious made both free throws to make it a three-point game, then Lucas sealed it with two free throws after Washington's C.J. Wilcox shot an airball 3-pointer at the other end.

No. 2 Michigan State Tops Tennessee Tech, 73-55
Spartans, Now 5-1, Get Ready for Next Match-Up Against Top-Ranked Duke

Nov. 28, 2010
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery

Podcasts: Coach Izzo | TTU Coach Mike Sutton

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Durrell Summers scored 21 points, and No. 2 Michigan State warmed up for its showdown with top-ranked Duke with a 73-55 win over Tennessee Tech on Sunday.

The Spartans (5-1) will surely drop in the rankings before taking on the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night. Michigan State lost to Connecticut earlier this week at the Maui Invitational, although the Spartans bounced back with a victory over Washington.

They also had little trouble with Tennessee Tech (0-3) of the Ohio Valley Conference.

At least the Golden Eagles were able to play this game. Their home opener Tuesday night was canceled when visiting Appalachian State failed to supply officials for the game.

Michigan State went on a brief run near the end of the first half. Summers threw down an alley-oop dunk from Draymond Green while drawing a foul, then made the free throw for a 21-16 lead. Moments later, Adreian Payne's one-handed dunk put the Spartans ahead by nine.

They entered halftime ahead 32-20.

Michigan State pushed the lead to 43-23 early in the second half, then the crowd came to its feet in a standing ovation during a timeout - though it wasn't for anything the basketball team was doing. The crowd was responding to the sight of football coach Mark Dantonio.

Dantonio was at the game a day after his team beat Penn State to win a share of the school's first Big Ten football championship since 1990.

Michigan State center Derrick Nix entered the game with 12:00 left in the second half. He rejoined the team after missing the Maui Invitational because of what coach Tom Izzo said were personal reasons. Nix didn't attempt a shot in five minutes, but he did have three steals.

Green finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Kalin Lucas scored 15 points for Michigan State, and Summers surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career. Summers finished 8 of 11 from the field.

Zach Bailey and Kevin Murphy scored 11 points each for Tennessee Tech.

The Spartans nearly met Duke in last season's national title game, but they lost to Butler in the semifinals. The Blue Devils will be unbeaten heading into the rematch, which is part of a difficult stretch of nonconference games that will test Michigan State.

In addition to the Maui event and the trip to Duke, the Spartans will also take on Syracuse and Texas before starting Big Ten play.

Tennessee Tech will try again to play a home game Wednesday night against SIU-Edwardsville.

Spartans Come Up Just Short at Duke, 84-79

Korie Lucious scored 20 points to lead Michigan State (5-2).

Dec. 1, 2010

Box Score | AP Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Freshman Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 31 points and led No. 1 Duke past No. 6 Michigan State 84-79 on Wednesday night in the marquee matchup of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Smith added 17 points and Kyle Singler scored 15 for the Blue Devils (7-0), who shot 47 percent and turned 20 Michigan State turnovers into 28 points. Duke used a 12-2 spurt midway through the second half to take a double-figure lead, then held off the Spartans down the stretch by hitting 9 of 12 free throws in the final 1:15 to seal its second victory over a top-10 team in eight days.

"I think every win we have is a statement," Irving said. "We want to show the world, every time we step on the court, we're the best."

Korie Lucious scored 20 points and Draymond Green added 10 of his 16 in the final minute for Michigan State (5-2). The Spartans shot 49 percent, were held to one field goal during a critical 7-minute stretch that coincided with Duke's run but otherwise hung tight with the reigning national champions.

"We showed at times, we had some resilience tonight, we showed some fight in us," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. "We competed better, and (when) we got down, we came back against ... (what) I think is the best team in college basketball."

The Spartans put a few of the Blue Devils' impressive winning streaks to the test. But ultimately, Duke found a way to win its 17th straight game dating to last season's national title run, claim its 23rd straight victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium and run its NCAA-best streak of nonconference wins at home to 81.

Mike Krzyzewski also claimed the 875th victory of his Hall of Fame career to move one win behind Adolph Rupp, who's in third place on the all-time list.

Irving, whose previous scoring high was 17 points, had 18 in the first half. He became the fourth Duke freshman to score 30 points and the first since J.J. Redick in 2003. He was sharp from the outside and was effective getting to the rim while drawing contact, finishing 13 of 16 from the free throw line.

Though he did much of the heavy lifting against the Spartans, he insists the Blue Devils are not yet his team.

"It's not one single person," Irving said. "Duke basketball, it's a collective effort. It's a brotherhood here. It's not my team."

For much of the way, little came easy for the Blue Devils. Michigan State closed to 69-64 on Durrell Summers' dunk with 3 1/2 minutes left before Singler stuck back Irving's miss just before the shot clock expired.

"We knew they weren't going to go away," Singler said. "It shows how good we are, I guess, right now, confidence-wise, and being able to execute towards the end of the game."

Mason Plumlee finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Duke, which won the first meeting between the teams since the 2005 regional semifinals and hasn't lost in the regular season to the Spartans since 1958.

It was a tight one throughout, and the Blue Devils' only chance to get any separation came during Michigan State's drought midway through the half. Summers pulled the Spartans to 49-47 with a 3 with 14 1/2 minutes left, but the next few minutes belonged to Duke.

Irving started the run with a free throw, and Singler hit two 3s during the burst - capping it by pump-faking Green in the corner, taking one step left and swishing it to make it 61-49 with 9:21 left.

Meanwhile, the Spartans - who entered averaging 17 turnovers - made the kinds of mistakes that usually prove problematic at Cameron. They turned it over six times during a stretch of eight possessions during Duke's run.

"We gave it our all, but like I said, it's turnovers," Lucious said. "If we keep our turnovers down, I think we can be one of the best teams in the country. We already are, but our turnovers are stopping us from doing that right now."

Kalin Lucas added 14 points and Summers finished with 11 for Michigan State, which always seems to draw a tough assignment in this made-for-TV event.

This was the second straight year they had to face the reigning national champion on its home court. North Carolina claimed an 89-82 victory last year against the Spartans, who trailed by 19 in that one. And a year earlier, Michigan State suffered a 35-point loss to the Tar Heels at Ford Field.

This time, Duke claimed this matchup of A-list coaches who have made a habit of advancing to the season's final weekend.

Izzo has led Michigan State to a nation's-best six Final Fours in 12 seasons and the 2000 national championship, while Krzyzewski has reached the sport's biggest stage 11 times in more than three decades at Duke and claimed his fourth national championship in April.

The Spartans were the one team in Indianapolis that the Blue Devils didn't face. Duke beat West Virginia in the Final Four before holding on in the title game to beat upstart Butler, which had knocked off Michigan State in the semifinals. Next up for the Blue Devils: A championship-game rematch with Butler this weekend in East Rutherford, N.J.

No. 6 Spartans Coast Past Bowling Green, 74-39

Michigan State went on a 21-1 run early in the second half.

Dec. 4, 2010
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery | AP Photo Gallery
Podcasts:
Coach Izzo | BG Head Coach Louis Orr
Kalin Lucas | Durrell Summers | Draymond Green | Korie Lucious

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - At this point, Tom Izzo can forgive a few careless turnovers.

As his team slogs through a brutal early schedule, the Michigan State coach is well aware of how much fatigue the sixth-ranked Spartans are fighting. So although they were far from perfect in a 74-39 win over Bowling Green on Saturday, Izzo was willing to overlook their problems.

"I might be the dumbest scheduler in America," Izzo said. "My team is tired."

Fresh off a five-point loss at Duke on Wednesday, the Spartans (6-2) didn't look sharp early against Bowling Green. They turned the ball over 12 times in the first half, and when the Falcons (1-7) scored the first four points of the second, Michigan State clinged to a 25-23 lead.

Durrell Summers and Korie Lucious responded with back-to-back 3-pointers and Draymond Green added a putback to push Michigan State's lead into double digits. Keith Appling then added two 3-pointers, Summers made another and Lucious scored from inside the arc for a 46-24 advantage.

Just like that, a close game had become a blowout, and the Spartans could start looking ahead to their next big task - a trip to New York to play No. 8 Syracuse on Tuesday night.

In addition to the Duke game, Michigan State also traveled to Hawaii for a tournament that included a loss to Connecticut and a win over Washington last month.

On Saturday, the Spartans withstood a scoreless game from guard Kalin Lucas, who attempted only one shot in 15 minutes after entering the game as the team's leading scorer. Lucas tore his Achilles' tendon last season.

"The poor guy, he's drained," Izzo said. "He asked not to play the second half. His foot was a little sore, but that wasn't the problem."

Summers scored 14 points to lead Michigan State, and Appling added 11. Green and Delvon Roe finished with 10 apiece, and Green also had 12 rebounds.

"The first half we were flat - super flat," Green said. "We also cut down on turnovers - a little bit - in the second half."

Scott Thomas scored 11 points for Bowling Green, which shot 27 percent from the field but was still very much in the game before Michigan State's 21-1 run early in the second half.

"If the game was 21 minutes long, I could say, 'We lost, but we gave a great effort,"' Bowling Green coach Louis Orr said. "You've got to keep doing what you're doing for 40 minutes to give yourself a chance."

Bowling Green has now played in the state of Michigan five times already this season, and the Falcons haven't won any of those games. They'll return Feb. 12 to play at Central Michigan.

Izzo has bemoaned his team's carelessness with the ball in the early going this season, and the Spartans finished with 21 turnovers against Bowling Green. But one thing the Spartans are doing well is shooting from 3-point range. They entered the game at 43.2 percent and then went 12 of 28.

Under Izzo, Michigan State's best 3-point percentage for a season is 40.1 percent by the 2003-04 team.

All four of Summers' field goals Saturday were from 3-point range, with Izzo encouraging him to look for his shot.

"He just felt like I wasn't ready to shoot. I took that as a knock on myself," Summers said. "We didn't come out with a lot of energy. In the second half, we came out and got a couple buckets."

Appling went 3 of 5 on 3-pointers, and Green and Lucious added two apiece.

Michigan State's big run came shortly after football coach Mark Dantonio and a few of his players showed off their Big Ten championship trophy at halftime.

"I was hoping to maybe stay out there for a little bit of it," Izzo said. "But we had our own problems."

No. 7 Spartans Stopped by No. 8 Syracuse, 72-58

All of Michigan State's Losses This Season Have Been to Teams Ranked in the Top 10

Dec. 8, 2010

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NEW YORK (AP) - Rick Jackson matched his season-high with 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead No. 8 Syracuse to a 72-58 victory over No. 7 Michigan State on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

With the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Jackson leading the way, Syracuse dominated inside finishing with a 42-24 advantage on points in the paint and outrebounding the Spartans 38-30. Michigan State led the nation the last two seasons in rebound margin.

"We just talk about rebounding being a big key for us," Jackson said. "We shoot a lot of 3s, a lot of jump shots and there are a lot of opportunities to get those misses. When Coach said we're not getting the ball you have to go get it and just play with that mindset."

Jackson came into the game averaging 13.1 points and 12.3 rebounds, both career-highs.

"He's been a monster inside defensively and getting offensive rebounds," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "He's been steady every game for us. We've been very erratic in all the other areas and he's been very good from day one, as good as any inside guy you could ask for."

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, considered one of the top college coaches in terms of his team rebounding and being tough inside, didn't mince any words about what happened to the Spartans.

"It's gut check time for us," he said. "I'm as disappointed in that performance as I've been in any since I've been at Michigan State. Credit Syracuse or the one man who kicked our butt. We didn't come early inside and let them dominate on the boards. We turned into a pretty-boy jump-shooting team instead of the blue-collar, fist-fighting team we should be.

"Our guys inside weren't covering anybody and that's solely on me. If the team doesn't play hard enough and is tough enough that's the coach's fault and we'll fix that. I feel like the New York Jets."

Michigan State didn't lose 45-3 like the Jets did at New England on Monday night, but the Spartans had a bad enough game.

"The aggressive team usually gets the advantage," Izzo said, "but we were taking it like a sissy and they took it up like men."

Scoop Jardine had 19 points and Kris Joseph added 14 for the Orange (9-0), who took the lead 4 1/2 minutes into the game and never relinquished it in front of a sellout crowd of 19,391 which was solidly behind the team from upstate New York.

"We like to play here, we always have," Boeheim said. "It's a great place to play and we've had great success here for a long time."

The Orange won for the first time in three appearances in this event which has helped raise over $100 million for the V Foundation, a fundraising effort for cancer research started by the late Jim Valvano.

Durrell Summers had 18 points for the Spartans (6-3), whose losses have all been to teams ranked in the top 10 as they lost to Connecticut in the Maui Invitational and top-ranked Duke.

The Spartans, who won their first two appearances in the Jimmy V Classic, committed 20 turnovers in the loss to the Blue Devils and didn't help themselves against Syracuse, finishing with 17. They also hurt themselves by going 9 of 16 at the free throw line.

"Nine for 16 just isn't good," Izzo said. "It's been a long time since we were manhandled like this. To be honest with you, it's been a long time."

Michigan State got within 50-47 on a free throw by Draymond Green with 12:24 to play. Dion Waters hit a 3 - just one of Syracuse's 2 in 11 attempts - and Jardine followed nine empty possessions by both teams with a three-point play and the Spartans were never closer than six points the rest of the way.

Korie Lucious had 10 points for the Spartans, while Kalin Lucas, who wasn't able to practice the last week, had eight on 3-for-9 shooting as he continues his recovery from the Achilles' tendon injury he suffered during the NCAA tournament.

Summer was 4 of 9 from 3-point range and Michigan State was 7 of 24 overall.

This was Syracuse's fourth straight win in the series with Michigan State and the Orange lead it 10-7 all-time. Boeheim isn't getting up in the rankings.

"I don't think we're playing as well as we can," he said. "I don't think we've played really well offensively yet. I think we can get there but we're not there yet and nobody is. It's still early."

No. 7 Spartans Escape Against Grizzlies, 77-76

Kalin Lucas scored 25 points for Michigan State.

Dec. 11, 2010


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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Kalin Lucas pushed himself as hard as he could in consecutive practices for the first time since rupturing his left Achilles' tendon in the NCAA tournament.

Then he had enough energy left over to score 25 points to help No. 7 Michigan State hold off Oakland 77-76 Saturday.

"I feel great," he said. "I hadn't gone full-go for two straight days since I had surgery, so I'm glad I was able to do that and still come out and do what I did in the game."

Lucas, who matched a career high by making 10 free throws, connected on a 3-pointer and a jumper late in the game to prevent the Golden Grizzlies from getting closer than two points until Reggie Hamilton made a 3-pointer with 0.4 of a second left.

"My opening statement will sound a little strange for a team that is somewhere in the top 50," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "I thought we played awfully well."

The Spartans (7-3) had dropped three of their last six games to top-10 teams: Connecticut, Duke and Syracuse.

"We knew we got them at the wrong time," Oakland coach Greg Kampe said. "But we also knew, if we handled it, we could get the win."

Michigan State is the only team in The Associated Press poll that has played a road game against a ranked team. It might lead the nation in miles traveled, playing in Maui, at Duke and against Syracuse in New York City in a two-week span.

"We still look like a very tired team," Izzo said.

The Spartans will get a much-needed break, getting a week off before hosting Prairie View A&M and Texas ahead of their Big Ten opener at home against Minnesota.

The Keith Benson-led Golden Grizzlies (5-5) aren't ranked, but they gave Michigan State all it could handle.

Benson had 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, impressing the NBA scouts at the game.

"I didn't notice they were there," Benson said. "I did showcase what I can do, but I would've rather had a win."

Larry Wright scored 21 for the Summit League defending champions and preseason favorite. Drew Valentine had 11 points while Hudson and Hamilton added 10 apiece.

Oakland got off to a good start, taking early leads, and trailed by just four points at halftime.

The school located in Rochester, Mich. - near the Detroit Pistons' arena where the game was played - quickly tied the game in the second half with Benson's hook and Wright's shot in the lane.

Michigan State seemed to take control midway through the second half with a 10-0 run that put it ahead 49-39, but the Golden Grizzlies clawed their way back into the game and refused to let the Spartans coast to a victory.

Lucas made a 3-pointer with just under 4 minutes left after Oakland pulled within two and another jumper to put Michigan State ahead 69-65.

Oakland's Will Hudson made back-to-back shots to make it 73-70 with 23.2 seconds left.

Michigan State could've sealed the win, but it missed some shots at the line and turned the ball over with 32.9 seconds left.

Lucas led the way for the Spartans, but he got some help. Freshman Keith Appling, making his first start, and Durrell Summers each scored 12 points. Draymond Green, who started in place of Delvon Roe, had 11 points, five assists and five rebounds.

The Spartans did a much better job of making free throws, 21 of 28, and taking care of the ball, turning it over just eight times.

Oakland, which was very competitive at No. 16 Illinois in its previous game, lamented making just 11 of 20 free throws and turning the ball over 14 times.

"It's disappointing to come this close and to miss so many free throws and have so many turnovers," Benson said. "But now we know we can compete with any team in the nation."

No. 14 Spartans Shut Down Prairie View, 90-51

Summers hit a season-high 25 points

Dec. 18, 2010


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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Durrell Summers scored a season-high 25, leading the 14th-ranked Spartans to a 90-51 win Saturday night over Prairie View A&M.

Draymond Green scored 11, had eight rebounds and four assists, Kalin Lucas had 10 points and a season-high eight assists for the Spartans (8-3) and Delvon Roe added 10 points.

Michigan State freshman Keith Appling scored five of his seven points early in the game, but didn't play in the second half because he was dizzy, Montgomery said.

Trant Simpson scored 17 and Demondre Chapman of Flint had 13 points for the Panthers (2-10) from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Texas-based school extended the longest nonconference road losing streak in Division I basketball, dropping its 64th straight since a win at Houston in 2002.

Michigan State, meanwhile, won its 52nd straight game at home against nonconference teams - dating to a loss to Duke in 2003 - and that streak will be tested Wednesday night against No. 22 Texas at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State has won two straight after losing three of six games to Connecticut, at Duke and against Syracuse.

The Spartans, playing for the first time in a week, looked fresh and focused from the start against Prairie View.

Michigan State scored the first seven points of the game, quickly built and maintained a double-digit lead and was ahead 42-27 at halftime. Summers' slam gave the Spartans a 30-point lead midway through the second half and they cruised to the easy victory.

No. 12 Spartans Fall To No. 18 Longhorns, 67-55

Michigan State's Kalin Lucas scored 17 points to lead the Spartans.

Dec. 22, 2010

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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Jordan Hamilton scored 21 points, Tristan Thompson had 17 points and 15 rebounds and No. 18 Texas beat No. 12 Michigan State 67-55 on Wednesday night.

The Longhorns (10-2) became the first nonconference team to win at the Breslin Center since Duke on Dec. 3, 2003, snapping a 52-game winning streak.

The Spartans (8-4) have failed to live up to their preseason billing as the second-ranked team in country with only one quality win over then-No. 13 Washington in the Maui Invitational.

Texas trailed only once in the first half and once just after halftime on Michigan State's home court, where Tom Izzo has won nearly 92 percent of his games over the last 14 years.

The Longhorns were simply too athletic and aggressive on both ends of the court for the turnover-prone and poor-shooting Spartans.

Michigan State's Kalin Lucas scored 17 points and didn't have much help. Lucas moved past Morris Peterson on the school's all-time list and into a 10th-place tie with Raymar Morgan.

The Spartans' do-it-all forward, Draymond Green, fouled out with 5:12 left, shortly after making his first field goal on his eighth attempt. Green finished with a season-low four points and eight rebounds.

Durrell Summers had a slow start before making shots toward the end of the first half to help Michigan State trail by only a point at halftime after trailing by as many as eight. Summers, though, scored just two points in the second half and finished with nine.

Michigan State freshman Adreian Payne, who got his first start, had a putback for the first basket of the second half to give the Spartans their second and final lead.

The Longhorns took control with a 16-3 run, scoring on dunks and layups in the open court and making 3-pointers in half-court sets.

Gary Johnson scored 14 points for Texas, which held the Spartans to 29 percent shooting and scored 19 points off their 16 turnovers.

The Longhorns have won four straight - including impressive back-to-back wins over North Carolina in Greensboro and on Michigan State's home court - and also has a win over Illinois.

Izzo coached the Spartans after serving a one-game suspension because the school employed someone associated with a potential recruit during a basketball camp in June. The person was paid $475 for five days to work with middle school-aged campers.

No. 20 Spartans Defeat No. 14 Golden Gophers, 71-62

Durrell Summers nets 19 points for Michigan State

Dec. 31, 2010

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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Durrell Summers and his Michigan State teammates couldn't buy a field goal in the first half against Minnesota on Friday. Spartans coach Tom Izzo told them to keep firing.

Sound advice from one of college basketball's top coaches.

Summers scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half and the Spartans (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) shook off a cold first half to open Big Ten play with a 71-62 victory over Minnesota (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP).

His 3-pointer midway though the second half started an 8-0 run that gave Michigan State (9-4, 1-0) the lead for good.

It was the last of five straight 3s by the Spartans, who ended the game 8 for 24 from behind the arc after making just one of their first 14 tries. Michigan State shot 62 percent from the field (16 of 26) in the second half after missing myriad open looks in the first.

"It was frustrating, but I wasn't upset because I thought 90 percent of the shots we took were good shots," Izzo said. "I told them at halftime to keep shooting."

It paid off as the Spartans made 12 of their first 16 shots in the final 20 minutes. Summers made four of five 3-point attempts during that stretch.

"We had the wrong guy guarding him, I guess," Golden Gophers coach Tubby Smith said of Summers. "A team like that, once they get some confidence, they're going to start making their open shots."

Draymond Green scored 14 points and Korie Lucious and Delvon Roe (nine rebounds) both added 11 for the Spartans, who also got 10 points and seven assists from Kalin Lucas. The victory was a stark turnaround from Michigan State's last appearance at home, a 67-55 loss to Texas.

"You've got to have confidence," Summers said. "The Texas game is over with."

Trevor Mbakwe had 17 points and nine rebounds and Blake Hoffarber added 12 points for the Gophers (11-3, 0-2), who lost their second straight.

Minnesota closed the first half on a 12-5 run for a 28-22 lead. Michigan State got plenty of good looks from the field in the opening half but shot just 26 percent (8 for 31).

The Spartans entered the game averaging more than 16 turnovers per game but gave it away just eight times as Izzo improved to 6-0 in Big Ten openers at the Breslin Center.

The Gophers hurt themselves as eight of their 14 turnovers came in the second half. The loss was their 12th straight in East Lansing.

"Fourteen turnovers and eight were from our guards," Smith said. "You can't have that."

No. 18 MSU Moves Past Northwestern, 65-62

Spartans have now come out on top against the Wildcats 15 out of their last 16 meetings.

Jan. 3, 2011

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EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Draymond Green scored 15 points, including an offensive rebound basket after a missed free throw with 12 seconds to go Monday night, and No. 18 Michigan State held off a furious finish from Northwestern to beat the Wildcats 65-62.

Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas had 12 points apiece for the Spartans (10-4, 2-0 Big Ten), who beat Northwestern for the 15th time in the last 16 meetings.

Northwestern's John Shurna, the Big Ten's leading scorer at 22.2 points who has been bothered by a sore ankle, shot just 1-for-11 and missed four of his five 3-point attempts while scoring 11 points. Drew Crawford led the Wildcats (9-3, 0-2) with 17 points.

Michael Thompson had 12 points, nine in a late 12-0 run that helped the Wildcats chop a 13-point deficit down to a single point with 28 seconds left.

Summers hit a 3-pointer and Lucas a pair of jumpers during a 7-0 run that put the Spartans up 10 with just under 10 minutes left.

The Spartans increased the lead to 13 on a Lucas jumper with 3:47 to go and appeared to have victory wrapped up.

But Thompson, who'd struggled through a tough shooting night, led a Northwestern comeback. His 3-pointer with 1:10 left cut the lead back to 63-60.

Michigan State's Green was called for an offensive foul with 51 seconds to go and after a timeout, Thompson got free for a layup that sliced it to 63-62 with 28 seconds remaining.

After Lucas missed a free throw with 13.7 seconds left, Green muscled in for the offensive rebound and then dropped the ball in the basket with 12 seconds to go, putting the Spartans up by three.

Thompson missed a 3-point attempt before Crawford rebounded and Northwestern got a final timeout with nine-tenths of second to play.

Crawford took the inbounds pass but could not get off a good shot as the horn sounded.

Michigan State's victory came on a night when the Spartans shot only five free throws, making one, to 16-of-24 for the Wildcats.

Six and a half minutes into the second half, Michigan State had been called for eight fouls and Northwestern none.

When Northwestern was finally called for a second-half foul with 13:13 left, sending Michigan State to the line for the first time in the game, a loud contingent of Spartans fans jumped to their feet with a mock cheer.

Northwestern shot just 31.6 percent from the field for the game and Michigan State 48.3 percent. The Spartans finished with a 45-33 rebounding edge. They led 35-31 at the half behind 10 points from Green, who finished 7-for-11 from the field, and had 11 rebounds.

No. 18 MSU Moves Past Northwestern, 65-62

Spartans have now come out on top against the Wildcats 15 out of their last 16 meetings.

Jan. 3, 2011

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EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Draymond Green scored 15 points, including an offensive rebound basket after a missed free throw with 12 seconds to go Monday night, and No. 18 Michigan State held off a furious finish from Northwestern to beat the Wildcats 65-62.

Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas had 12 points apiece for the Spartans (10-4, 2-0 Big Ten), who beat Northwestern for the 15th time in the last 16 meetings.

Northwestern's John Shurna, the Big Ten's leading scorer at 22.2 points who has been bothered by a sore ankle, shot just 1-for-11 and missed four of his five 3-point attempts while scoring 11 points. Drew Crawford led the Wildcats (9-3, 0-2) with 17 points.

Michael Thompson had 12 points, nine in a late 12-0 run that helped the Wildcats chop a 13-point deficit down to a single point with 28 seconds left.

Summers hit a 3-pointer and Lucas a pair of jumpers during a 7-0 run that put the Spartans up 10 with just under 10 minutes left.

The Spartans increased the lead to 13 on a Lucas jumper with 3:47 to go and appeared to have victory wrapped up.

But Thompson, who'd struggled through a tough shooting night, led a Northwestern comeback. His 3-pointer with 1:10 left cut the lead back to 63-60.

Michigan State's Green was called for an offensive foul with 51 seconds to go and after a timeout, Thompson got free for a layup that sliced it to 63-62 with 28 seconds remaining.

After Lucas missed a free throw with 13.7 seconds left, Green muscled in for the offensive rebound and then dropped the ball in the basket with 12 seconds to go, putting the Spartans up by three.

Thompson missed a 3-point attempt before Crawford rebounded and Northwestern got a final timeout with nine-tenths of second to play.

Crawford took the inbounds pass but could not get off a good shot as the horn sounded.

Michigan State's victory came on a night when the Spartans shot only five free throws, making one, to 16-of-24 for the Wildcats.

Six and a half minutes into the second half, Michigan State had been called for eight fouls and Northwestern none.

When Northwestern was finally called for a second-half foul with 13:13 left, sending Michigan State to the line for the first time in the game, a loud contingent of Spartans fans jumped to their feet with a mock cheer.

Northwestern shot just 31.6 percent from the field for the game and Michigan State 48.3 percent. The Spartans finished with a 45-33 rebounding edge. They led 35-31 at the half behind 10 points from Green, who finished 7-for-11 from the field, and had 11 rebounds.

No. 18 Spartans Tripped Up By Penn State, 66-62

Durrell Summers scored 21 points to lead Michigan State.

Jan. 8, 2011

Box Score

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - An off-day shooting didn't sap Talor Battle's confidence, not with a potential upset of No. 18 Michigan State on the line.

Penn State's star guard asked for the ball with less than a minute left and his team up by one, and he came through in the clutch - again. His off-balance jumper gave the Nittany Lions a three-point lead with 18 seconds left, and they held on for a 66-62 win over the Spartans.

Durrell Summers led Michigan State (10-5, 2-1 Big Ten) with 21 points, but missed on a potential game-tying 3 from the corner with 10 seconds left.

Jeff Brooks had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Penn State (9-6, 2-2), his second straight double-double, and forward Andrew Jones scored 16 points. But it was Battle who took the big shot after getting some encouragement from his fellow senior.

"Jeff came up to me and said, 'T, it's showtime,"' said Battle, the Big Ten's leading scorer, who was held to 13 points on 3-of-13 shooting. He was just 1 of 8 on 3-pointers.

Korie Lucious hounded Battle before the guard shook off the defender, took a slight step back near the baseline and let go from about 12 feet in the waning moments.

"I knew it would go in, it was just one of those feelings," Battle said.

It was a huge win for the Nittany Lions, in the second of a grueling five-game stretch against ranked opponents. They snapped a 10-game losing streak to Top 25 teams - and several of the 8,500-plus in attendance at the Jordan Center celebrated by storming the court.

Spartans coach Tom Izzo wasn't in such a good mood, though. After edging Northwestern by three points Monday, the Spartans couldn't pull off another tight conference road game.

"It was one of the most disappointing losses of my career, not because of Penn State, but because of the way we prepared," Izzo said. "We had one of our best weeks of practice."


Summers (7 of 16 shooting) produced, as did fellow backcourt mate Kalin Lucas (14 points), but Michigan State's big men struggled against the energized frontcourt trio of Jones, Brooks and David Jackson (11 points, seven rebounds.)

Green had 10 rebounds but finished 2-of-10 shooting for just five points, while Delvon Roe had seven points and one board, hampered by foul trouble much of the game.

After getting outrebounded by Purdue by 15, and losing by the same margin, Penn State pounded the glass to outrebounding the Spartans 40-36, including 15 on the offensive end.

"When we play aggressive and get on rebounds, we do a great job of staying in the game and getting a chance to win," Brooks said.

They also took care of the ball with six turnovers to Michigan State's 11. The Spartans had just four in the first half before early season ball-handling mistakes re-emerged in the second half in Happy Valley.

Neither team led by more than six all day. They traded buckets down the stretch, few bigger than when Jones fought off Green to convert Battle's missed 3. Jones hit a foul shot a minute later for a 63-61 lead.

After Summers converted a free throw, coach Ed DeChellis put the ball in the hands of his star guard in the tense closing seconds.

"We did a pretty good job on Battle, and yet great players make great players down the stretch," Izzo said. "I just thought we had some opportunities and we just didn't finish baskets or get rebounds, and they scored on them."

Going just 10 of 20 from the foul line didn't help, either.

"It was just frosting on the cake," Izzo said about the free throws. "Disappointing loss. This time, I can't blame it on our preparation."

Spartans Edge No. 20 Wisconsin in OT, 64-61

Michigan State scored the final nine points of regulation to tie the game at 53.

Jan. 11, 2011

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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Trailing by nine points late in the second half against a team that seldom makes mistakes, Michigan State (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today) was showing few signs of pulling out of its season-long funk.

Then Kalin Lucas spoke up.

"The guys had their heads down," Lucas said. "I said, 'Hey, there's a lot of time left. We're going to win this game! We just have to get stops."

The Spartans finished regulation on a 9-0 run, then outlasted Wisconsin (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) in overtime for a 64-61 victory Tuesday night.

Draymond Green scored a career-high 26 points for Michigan State, and Lucas made three free throws in the final minute of overtime in what might be the game that turns his team's season around.

The Spartans were ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll but dropped out of the Top 25 entirely after a loss to Penn State last weekend. This is the first week Michigan State (11-5, 3-1 Big Ten) isn't ranked since the final poll of 2006-07.

"We talk about having a character check," coach Tom Izzo said. "I've never seen a bunch of guys get knocked down more times than we got knocked down, and in every huddle, they still thought they could win."

Green scored Michigan State's first eight points of overtime, including a free throw that put the Spartans ahead 61-60 with 1:16 left. Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor tied it with a free throw with 59.1 seconds left, but Lucas drew a foul driving along the baseline and made one free throw to put Michigan State ahead 62-61 with 30.2 seconds remaining.

Taylor then missed from near the top of the key. Lucas, who finished with 17 points, added two free throws with 2.2 seconds left, and Taylor missed a desperation shot from midcourt.

Taylor scored 21 points for Wisconsin.

"We fell apart," Taylor said. "They turned us over and did a good job of pressuring us."

Wisconsin (12-4, 2-2) was an unlikely candidate to blow a late lead. The Badgers rarely turn the ball over and are terrific from the free throw line -- but Michigan State took advantage of some surprising Wisconsin miscues.

Trailing 53-48 with just over a minute remaining in regulation, the Spartans came up with a steal near midcourt that led to a breakaway dunk by Keith Appling. Wisconsin lost the ball again on the following inbounds, and Korie Lucious made a 3-pointer to tie it with 47.2 seconds to play.

The Badgers looked completely out of sorts on their next possession, which ended when Tim Jarmusz shot an air ball from the corner at the end of the shot clock. Lucas had a chance to win it at the other end, but he decided to go up with his right hand while driving to the basket, and Keaton Nankivil was able to block his layup from behind.

After turning the ball over only 13 times in its first three Big Ten games, Wisconsin gave it away 11 times against the Spartans.

"A couple turnovers there that are uncharacteristic for us," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "But in the heat of the battle, they happen."

Wisconsin started well, content to allow Michigan State to settle for outside shots. The Badgers led 19-7 at one point, forcing Izzo to call a timeout with 8:51 left in the first half.

Michigan State fought back to a 23-20 deficit at halftime despite missing all eight of its 3-point attempts. Appling finally made one to start the second half, and Green scored from the perimeter to give the Spartans their first lead at 25-23.

When the game ended, a few fans began chanting "Just like football!" Michigan State beat Wisconsin in football this season, but the Badgers ended up in the Rose Bowl anyway, much to the Spartans' chagrin.

Michigan State's basketball team is less concerned with that and more worried about improving before the NCAA tournament. The Spartans are trying for their third straight Final Four.

"This was important, very important," Green said. "A loss could've changed our whole season."