 shared the conference title with No. 9 Maryland and No. 24 Wisconsin. The Spartans will be the second-seeded team at the Big Ten Tournament behind the Badgers, with the Terrapins seeded third.The Buckeyes (21-10, 11-9) had won four straight and six of their previous seven games, but they let Michigan State make 54% of its shots in the second half to pull away.''We just couldn't get enough stops when we needed to,'' coach Chris Holtmann said.Ohio State's leading scorer, Kaleb Wesson, was held to eight points on 1-of-8 shooting after entering the day averaging 14-plus points per game.''Wesson is a load down low,'' Izzo said. ''We put a lot into trying to stop him. We didn't stop him, but we semi-neutralized him.'' Duane Washington had 16 points, CJ Walker scored 14, E. J. Liddell had 12 and Luther Muhammad added 10 points for the Buckeyes.Michigan State was in control of much of the evening and pulled away with a 16-4 run late in the game.Rocket Watts scored 19 points, Xavier Tillman had 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals while Aaron Henry added 12 points for the Spartans.''They had toughness and they hit the floor first,'' Walker said.TIED AT THE TOPThe Badgers clinched a share of the Big Ten title with a victory Saturday at Indiana and will be the top-seeded team in Indianapolis. The Terrapins beat No. 25 Michigan earlier on Sunday to also earn a share of the championship.BIG PICTUREOhio State: The Buckeyes should get a boost in the postseason with the expected return of Kyle Young, who missed his fourth straight game with a high ankle sprain. The junior forward, who has a protective boot on his right foot, averages seven-plus points and nearly six rebounds per game.''We've won games with a short bench,'' Holtmann said.Michigan State: The Spartans are playing their best late in the season as they usually have done over 25 seasons for their Hall of Fame coach. They started the season ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history and seem to have some momentum going into the postseason.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe surging Spartans will likely move up in the poll on Monday with their fifth straight win and sixth win in seven games. The Buckeyes will probably hold onto a spot toward the bottom of the Top 25.SENIOR DAYWinston was honored along with fellow seniors Josh Langford, Kyle Ahrens and former walk-on Conner George.Langford, who missed the year with a foot injury, has not announced if he will return for a fifth season, transfer to another school or play professionally.When Izzo mentioned Langford during the Senior Day ceremony, the fans let the shooting guard know they want him back.''One more year! One more year!'' the fans chanted.BANNER NIGHTIzzo isn't afraid to show his emotions and did it again, choking back tears and pausing while addressing fans after winning the Big Ten title for the 10th time.''It's the third year in a row that we're playing here for a championship,'' he said. ''And there is nothing in the entire world I like more than hanging banners.'' HE SAID IT''They should do that after the game,'' Holtmann told an official, complaining about the Spartans' tradition of having seniors kiss their logo after checking out for the final time at Breslin Center.UP NEXTOhio State: Goes to the conference tournament, trying to improve its seeding for the NCAA Tournament.Michigan State: Shoots to repeat as Big Ten Tournament champion.---Follow Larry Lage at https://twitter.com/LarryLage---More college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/-Top25)
Mar 07, 2020Michigan State has survived tough times on and off the court this season but has persevered to play for a share of the Big Ten title on Sunday.The No. 16 Spartans (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten) host No. 19 Ohio State (21-9, 11-8) at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., to close the season.Ohio State defeated No. 23 Illinois 71-63 on Thursday for its fourth straight win and ninth in 11 games.Wisconsin is 14-6 in conference play, closing with eight straight wins, and has locked up at least a co-championship. The Spartans and Badgers split their two games on the season."For what we have been through, it's just hard to explain what it means to have the chance to play for a Big Ten championship after the way the last five months have gone," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said following the Spartans' rally from a 19-point deficit to win 79-71 at No. 20 Penn State on Tuesday.Michigan State was tabbed the preseason No. 1 nationally, but at one point, the Spartans fell out of the Top 25 in part because Joshua Langford, considered the second-best player on the team behind senior Cassius Winston, has been unavailable all season because of a foot injury.Then the program was rocked in November when Winston's younger brother, Zachary, committed suicide.Izzo told CBS Sports this week the tragedy has been on everyone's minds."Some days (Winston) is just not with it," he said. "His mother, it's been hard on her. It's been like nothing I've ever gone through. If we can continue to win here, it will be the best accomplishment of my career, no matter where we go." The Buckeyes have been challenged by adversity, although not to that level. Freshman D. J. Carton was starting to show why he was a four-star recruit before he took a leave of absence Jan. 30 to address mental health issues. He has not rejoined the team.Guard Musa Jallow has missed the entire season after undergoing two ankle surgeries, and starting forward Kyle Young has been out the past three games due to an ankle sprain.Yet, the Buckeyes have persevered. Against Michigan last Sunday, they went a on 23-9 run for a 77-63 victory. They outscored Illinois 23-6 in the final 9:48."We have been a very tough-minded group these last five weeks," Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said. "We'll see if that continues. There's no permanency to that. You have to bring that each day to practice. That's a muscle you grow." Freshman E. J. Liddell, a two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball, had a breakout game, tying his career high with 17 points and setting it with 11 rebounds vs. the Illini in Young's absence."I felt like the game has slowed down a lot," he said.Said Holtmann, "His offense and defense were critical. He was phenomenal. Now we've got to see if he can keep doing that." -- Field Level Media
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