After rallying late, Michigan State pulled past Ohio State, 59-56, in East Lansing Saturday afternoon.
| 1 | 2 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO. 23 OHIO STATE | 24 | 32 | 56 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 33 | 26 | 59 |
It's the second loss for the No. 23-ranked Buckeyes in seven games.
Denzel Valentine buried a 3-pointer with seconds to play to lift the Spartans to a critical win in Big Ten play. It's their first win over a ranked opponent this season.
In the process, Michigan State neutralized D'Angelo Russell, the star freshman guard who has carried the Buckeyes this season, to 10 points.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | POINTS | 59 |
| 23-52 (44.2) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 24-50 (48) |
| 5-17 (29.4) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 7-15 (46.7) |
| 5-13 (38.5) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 4-7 (57.1) |
| 9 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 31 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 31 |
| 11 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 7 |
| 20 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 24 |
| 3 | BENCH POINTS | 20 |
| 5 | BLOCKS | 8 |
| 5 | STEALS | 4 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 19 |
Additionally, poor free-throw shooting (5-of-13) and a lack of production from its bench (three points) hampered Ohio State. Otherwise, the Buckeyes weren't particularly bad shooting the ball (44 percent) and turned it over nine times compared to Michigan State's 11 errors.
Senior guard Shannon Scott led the team with 15 points and Jae'Sean Tate and Sam Thompson, who sunk a 3-pointer to tie the game at 56 with less than 10 seconds to play, added 10 apiece.
Sophomore forward Marc Loving returned to the floor after a three-game suspension, yet he was largely ineffective. He had zero points on 0-of-1 shots.
Ohio State plays Michigan on Sunday in Ann Arbor.
