No. 7 Buckeyes Fall To No. 6 Michigan State, 83-72 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2000%^$
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By HARRY ATKINS%^$
AP Sports Writer%^$
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Morris Peterson has had a lot of big games for%^$Michigan State. Still, he will remember this one.%^$
Peterson had 26 points and 11 rebounds as the sixth-ranked Spartans took%^$over sole possession of first place in the Big Ten with an 83-72 payback win%^$over No. 7 Ohio State on Tuesday night.%^$
“This is definitely going to stand out,” said Peterson, who scored 20%^$points in a 78-67 loss at Columbus on Jan. 20. “Years from now, when I’m done%^$playing, I’ll still enjoy this one.”%^$
This was the 25th straight win at home for the Spartans (19-6, 9-2), who are%^$attempting to win a third straight conference regular season title.%^$
“Nobody had to tell us this was an important game,” said Charlie Bell, who%^$scored 23 points for the Spartans. “We were trying to protect home floor, and%^$this was for first place in the Big Ten. I don’t think you need too much more%^$motivation than that.”%^$
Scoonie Penn scored 30 points for Ohio State (17-5, 8-3), which turned the%^$ball over 14 times and fell into a tie for second in the conference with%^$Indiana and Purdue.%^$
“They played us tough,” said Michael Redd, who added 18 points for the%^$Buckeyes. “They made good decisions off our turnovers. It was tough.”%^$
Mateen Cleaves scored 24 points for Michigan State and his one steal gave%^$him 176 for his career, one more than the school record he shared with Scott%^$Skiles.%^$
The Spartans hit 8-of-20 from 3-point range.%^$
Michigan State won the battle of the boards, 43-30, including a 16-8 edge on%^$the offensive end.%^$
The importance of this game was apparent from the opening tip. Both teams%^$made it to the Final Four last season and played like a No. 1 seed in this%^$season’s tournament might be at stake.%^$
Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien was ejected by referee Tom O’Neill after%^$picking up his second technical foul 5 1/2 minutes into the second half. Assistant%^$Rick Boyages ran the bench the rest of the way.%^$
“First of all, I did not like the way I was being treated by O’Neill,”%^$O’Brien said. “There were no obscenities. He just called a technical on me%^$from across the way.%^$
“On the second one, I was trying to get his attention and he just refused%^$to acknowledge me. He just kept walking away. I tapped him on the shoulder.”%^$
O’Neill said coaches are supposed to stay in the huddle during timeouts.%^$
“I think Jimmy getting ejected was, believe it or not, disappointing,”%^$Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said, “because I think he is a class guy and a%^$good guy.”%^$
The Buckeyes turned the ball over four times in the first 3:11 and Michigan%^$State used the errors to break to a 9-2 lead.%^$
But Penn had five points as the Buckeyes, after a timeout, went on a 9-0%^$run.%^$
Two 3-point baskets by Peterson keyed a 17-4 Michigan State burst for a%^$26-13 lead midway through the half which the Spartans never relinquished.%^$
“The thing we talked about when playing this team, when you make mistakes,%^$they turn them into baskets,” O’Brien said. “I think that is what happened,%^$basically.”%^$
Cleaves hit a 3-pointer and two free throws to spark Michigan State to a%^$44-33 halftime lead. The Spartans hit 7-of-9 from 3-point range in the first%^$half.%^$
Bell scored six straight points on three fast breaks as the Spartans broke%^$to a 52-37 lead with 14:40 left in the second half.
