 have won 12 straight this season to take sole possession of first in the conference. They have won 20 consecutive Big Ten regular season games dating to last year.The Terrapins (16-4, 7-2) had a shot to move into first place in the conference, but couldn't extend their seven-game winning streak.Maryland's leading scorer, Anthony Cowan, was held to a season-low seven points.The Terrapins connected on just 34 percent of their shots against the Spartans after shooting 58 percent of in their previous game, a 14-point win at Ohio State.Michigan State freshman Aaron Henry scored a season-high 12 points while Matt McQuaid and Xavier Tillman had 10 points apiece.Bruno Fernando had 12 points and 13 rebounds, freshman Aaron Wiggins had a season-high 15 points and Darryl Morsell added 10 points.The Spartans missed their first six shots then surged to an 18-6 lead while holding Maryland to 3-of-18 shooting.Maryland started making shots to pull into 20-all tie before Michigan State closed half with an 11-0 run to lead 31-20.Winston, who had just five points in the first half, opened the second half with a 3-pointer to put the Spartans ahead by 14. He had a three-point play a couple minutes later, giving Michigan State a 43-26 lead. Goins made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 22 with 15:28 left.The Terrapins rallied to cut their deficit to 11 with 5:42 remaining, but couldn't get closer.BIG PICTUREMaryland: Cowan crumbled against Michigan State's defense. He had scored 20-plus points in four straight games and was averaging 17.9 points entering the game before being held nearly 11 below his average on 3-of-12 shooting. Cowan made a shot early in the game then was held scoreless for 26-plus minutes.Michigan State: In its only home game during a five-game stretch, the Spartans showed they can win without injured starter Joshua Langford and basically without struggling starter Nick Ward. Langford missed his sixth straight game with an ankle injury. Ward was held scoreless for the first time in his career, limited to 14 minutes at least in part because he was in foul trouble. Kyle Ahrens, who has started seven games this year, returned from a two-game absence with a back injury and made a reverse layup to help hold off Maryland in the second half.UP NEXTMaryland: Gives up home game to play Illinois at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.Michigan State: Plays at No. 19 Iowa on Thursday night and at Purdue on Sunday afternoon.---More college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/-Top25---Follow Larry Lage at https://twitter.com/LarryLage)
Jan 20, 2019Tom Izzo was a happy guy on Thursday night.His sixth-ranked Michigan State team had just earned a tough road win over Nebraska, its fourth straight away from home and 11th in a row overall.It kept the Spartans (16-2, 7-0) atop the Big Ten standings, a feat made even more noteworthy considering they have been without junior guards Joshua Langford (ankle) and Kyle Ahrens (back) -- Langford for five games and Ahrens for two.But it didn't take Izzo long for the reality of life in the Big Ten to offer a smack in the face."I'm gonna take the win; I'm gonna enjoy the win," Izzo said. "All we got now is Maryland coming up." Izzo smiled then offered a quick shake of head. Nope, there are no breaks, especially with the Terrapins coming to town Monday at the Breslin Center.With all the talk of Michigan and Michigan State being the class of the conference, No. 19 Maryland (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten) has been playing well and sits one game behind Michigan State. Friday's 75-61 victory at Ohio State was the seventh straight for the Terrapins and the third consecutive win away from home.Not bad for a young team that was picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big Ten. That is hardly the focus right now for the Terps, however."We're not even talking about it," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said."I told our guys, 'Whatever you do, don't look at our record, don't listen to people saying you're this and that.' This league's too good. This league's terrific and we're just trying to get better. So, I'm really proud of our team."Our guys just gotta stay even-keeled and we've just gotta keep trying to get better." Maryland has vaulted near the top of a conference race that is starting to offer some clarity. Michigan State is the only unbeaten team remaining, with Michigan and Maryland sitting one game back with a loss each. Purdue has two losses. Every other team has at least three defeats.While the halfway point has yet to arrive, it's obvious the Spartans-Terrapins matchup qualifies as a big one when it comes to the Big Ten race.And while Maryland is rolling, it's not quite to the level yet of Michigan State, which hasn't lost since falling in overtime at Louisville in late November. Games have rarely been close since then, the six-point victory at Nebraska being the tightest.That win highlighted Michigan State's success on the road, something the Spartans will try to continue after Monday's pit stop at home with the next two at Iowa and at Purdue. And they're doing it while relying on youth with Langford and Ahrens out."It was probably one of the bigger wins on the road under the circumstances of those freshmen having to play minutes in a tough environment," Izzo said. "That place was rocking as loud as I've ever heard a place lately, and we found a way to win." --Field Level Media
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