SPARTANS

Michigan State roars back but falls to Purdue in OT

Matt Charboneau
The Detroit News

West Lafayette, Ind. — What first looked like a blowout, suddenly became a thriller.

And for No. 8 Michigan State, it ended with its best player getting called for a foul 30 feet from the basket.

With the score tied at 81 in overtime, Denzel Valentine was called for a foul on Purdue’s Rapheal Davis, who was driving off an A.J. Hammons screen off an inbounds play. Davis hit the first free throw and missed the second with 4.6 seconds to play, but the rebound ended up in the hands of Hammons as No. 18 Purdue held on for the 82-81 victory at Mackey Arena on Tuesday.

BOX SCORE: No. 18 Purdue 82, No. 8 Michigan State 81, OT

“I'm disappointed. Proud,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “They just outplayed us in the first half. We did not execute.

“We had an opportunity to win the game … but don’t take anything away from Purdue. They played their tails off and came out and played so hard and so well.”

Valentine scored 27 for the Spartans, his last two tying the game at 81 with 11.5 seconds left in overtime.

But Davis, who punished Michigan State all night, got the free throw that counted.

“They were grabbing me all night,” Valentine said. “I feel like I did a good job getting over (the screen). I hit him a little bit but I tried to keep my hands away, but the ref thought it was a foul. I feel like (Hammons) did (lean into me) and they were grabbing me all game and they weren’t calling it. But it is what it is. Purdue is an aggressive team and we had plenty of possessions besides that one to win the game.”

Matt Costello added 11 points and Matt McQuaid had 10 for Michigan State (20-5, 7-5 Big Ten), which saw its four-game winning streak end.

Davis scored a season-high 24 for Purdue (20-5, 8-4), while Hammons had 19 as the Boilermakers ended a seven-game skid against the Spartans.

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Purdue dominated the first half and led by 18 early in the second half, but Michigan State came storming back.

Trailing 50-33, Michigan State tallied 11 straight points to cut the margin to 50-44 and then tied the game at 59 when Alvin Ellis fed Deyonta Davis for a dunk with 8:43 to play in regulation, the first time it had been tied since 0-0.

“I guess you see growth,” Valentine said of the comeback. “But I don’t think we should have been in that position in the first place. Purdue came out and was the hungrier team. They scored 46 points on us and that’s not typical.”

The Boilermakers went back in front when Vince Edwards split a pair of free throws but Costello scored on a finger roll in the lane to give Michigan State its first lead of the game at 61-60 with 7:39 to play.

The teams went back and forth and were tied at 65 when McQuaid nailed a 3-pointer late in the shot clock to give Michigan State a 68-65 lead with 5:18 left. Hammons then split a pair of free throws before Valentine scored on a scoop shot in the lane to give the Spartans a 70-66 lead with 4:19 to play.

But the Spartans couldn’t close it out.

Hammons got a pair of free throws to bring Purdue within 70-68 with 3:31 left before Michigan State missed a chance to extend its lead when Bryn Forbes missed an open 3-point attempt. But after a stop, Kenny Goins hit two free throws to push the Spartans lead to 72-68.

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However, Purdue answered with a layup from Caleb Swanigan to make it 72-70 with 1:45 left, and the freshman tied it at 72 with 1:03 to play.


Purdue got a stop but got called for a shot-clock violation and Valentine’s 3-point attempt came up short as the buzzer sounded to end regulation.


“Championship teams and winners don’t make excuses,” Valentine said. “I feel like I could have willed my team to a victory. We has a four-point lead in the second half and I took bad shot to end the game. I probably should have went to the rim. I’ve got to be smarter down the stretch.”

Overtime began ominously as Valentine drove to the hoop but missed a dunk — the third missed dunk of the game for Michigan State — and Purdue took advantage, getting to the free-throw line three times to go up 76-72. Forbes hit a 3-pointer to cut it to 76-75, but Hammons hit a jump hook with 2:19 left to give Purdue a 78-75 lead.

Valentine then scored on a running layup but Edwards converted a three-point play to give the Boilermakers an 81-77 lead. But Valentine found Goins for a layup and the Spartans got a stop and called timeout with 21.3 to play and trailing 81-79.

Valentine then tied the game on a running layup with 11.5 seconds on the clock. Purdue called timeout with 6.7 to play in overtime before the foul was called on Valentine.

“All in all it was a hell of a basketball game,” Izzo said. “I didn’t think we deserved to be 18 down, I thought we had good enough shots and layups and dunks in there, but I thought Purdue outplayed us and hit all their shots. They made the plays down the stretch and tonight the better team won.

"I can accept that. I can also look on some bright spots that my team battled back, took the lead, had a four-, five-point lead, whatever it was, a couple of big plays, a couple of big situations just didn’t go our way.”


Little went right for Michigan State in the first half as Davis was 5-for-5 from 3-point range and Purdue built a 42-25 lead. The Boilermakers eventually lead, 46-30, the second-largest first-half deficit of the season for Michigan State, which trailed Iowa at home, 47-25.

“Michigan State is obviously a great program and we haven’t beaten them in a long time,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “It’s a fine line when you win a one-point game. It could go either way and we’re fortunate to get a win.”

mcharboneau@detroitnews.com

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