Ohio State junior forward Kaleb Wesson (34) lays on the ground laughing after a foul is called on him in the second half of the game against Nebraska Jan. 14. Ohio State won 80-68. Credit: Cori Wade | Assistant Photo Editor
Ohio State entered Sunday’s regular season finale hot, but Cassius Winston was hotter in his final home contest.
The senior guard led No. 16 Michigan State (22-9, 14-6) to a 80-69 victory against No. 19 Ohio State (21-10, 11-9 Big Ten) with 27 points –– many of which in crucial spots for the Spartans.
Ohio State freshman forward E.J. Liddell knocked down a 3 to bring the Buckeyes back down 53-49 with 10:48 to play, but Winston wasted no time answering with a deep bomb of his own on the other end.
On the next possession, Winston found freshman guard Rocket Watts, who was fouled by sophomore guard Luther Muhammad on a made 3-pointer. The free throw pushed the Spartan lead back to nine, and the Buckeyes never recovered.
Winston extended the lead to 20 in the final minutes with a victory lap 3 from the wing to the pleasure of the East Lansing crowd.
Less than six minutes prior, two free throws from Ohio State junior forward Kaleb Wesson tied the game 44-44 at the 15-minute mark in the second half, but Michigan State quickly distanced itself once again with a 9-2 run.
Winston scored the first five points of the stretch himself on two straight outside jumpers.
Michigan State earned a share of the Big Ten regular season title with the win.
After trailing all but 1:30 of the first half, senior forward Andre Wesson knotted the game up in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring an up-and-under and-one in the mid-post to tie the game 42-42 at 16:14.
Andre Wesson had a hand in the first six points of the half as well, scoring two buckets and dishing an assist to sophomore guard Duane Washington to help the Buckeyes close the gap.
With 24 seconds to play in the first half, Ohio State redshirt junior guard C.J. Walker stepped to the free throw line to try and make it a two-point game before halftime.
Instead, Walker missed the front end of the one-and-one, and Michigan State junior forward Xavier Tillman hit a contested lean-back jumper at the buzzer to take a 38-32 halftime lead over the Buckeyes.
But Walker had already helped lead the Buckeyes back from a once 12-point first half deficit, as Michigan State responded to an early 7-0 Ohio State run with a 17-3 spurt of its own.
Watts had eight straight points during the run himself, knocking in two 3s –– including one off glass –– and adding a 2-point jumper as well.
Watts put up 11 points in the first half, and his two made 3-pointers equalled Ohio State’s team total in the opening 20 minutes. The Buckeyes hit just three 3s in their win against Illinois this past Thursday.
The lone Spartan with more first half points than Watts was Winston, who found success crashing to the rim on a variety of acrobatic finishes to score 12 points, and added five assists to boot.
Walker scored a team-high 10 points of his own opposite Winston in the half, including a layup following a 3 from sophomore guard Duane Washington that were both part of a 9-2 run that cut the Spartan lead from 32-21 to 34-30 with 1:24 left.
With junior forward Kyle Young out again with a high ankle sprain, Liddell scored a Buckeye second-best seven points in the first half, and finished with 12.
Ohio State opens play in the Big Ten Tournament Thursday in Indianapolis.
