Physical. Slow paced. Methodical Play. In the first half, it was the Spartans playing their type of junkyard basketball that got the Ohio State Buckeyes out of their game. At the end of the buzzer, it was Ohio State with their heads down. In a gut check game, Ohio State didn’t answer. In fact, the got sucked into playing Izzo ball all night long. In the end, it was lack of effort that led to a 58-48 loss for the first time at Value City Arena in 40 games.
Despite starting hot, Ohio State struggled at home in the first half on Saturday evening. Aaron Craft scored 5 of the first seven, and the Scarlet and Gray got going early with a laser fade from the elbow off the hands of Deshaun Thomas just five seconds in the game.
Early, it looked like we would have a back and fourth ballgame. Despite Michigan State shutting down Jared Sullinger in the first five Minutes. The big man would respond with a nice turnaround one hander off the glass and a block shot on the other end.
The next 15 minutes of the first half and the rest of the game would be all Spartans.
Draymond Green would lead a 7-1 run where he scored, 7 of the first 11 as the Spartans went on an 18-5 run heading into the second half.
Adreian Payne would play determined basketball in throughout the ballgame. Whether it was defensively frustrating Jared Sullinger, hitting open looks from 18’ or getting up in the air on the block or offensive put back. Payne would finish with 15 points, while shooting 6/6 from the floor. His effort on the floor to force Ohio State to play Michigan State basketball was more important than anything in the statsheet.
Thanks in part to Payne’s play defensively, Jared Sullinger was held to just points. He had 6 turnovers in the first half and 10 total. At times he was forced into frustration on both ends. So much so that he was forced to dribble drive to the post from the elbow which caused several turnovers.
Ohio State would go scoreless for nine minutes in the first, Until it was the big man hitting a three from the wing to finally put some wind under the Ohio State sails.
Keith Appling and Austin Thornton would answer though with late in the first daggers from three that deflated any hope of closing the gap in the first. The Spartans would lead by a difference of 10 at 35-25 heading into the second half.
Fans who watched this one tuned into the second hoping for a much cleaner game. Instead, they saw a junkyard tizzy with looks on both sides uglier than this wrestler’s jumpshot.
Defensively, Jared Sullinger struggled to find positioning, Deshaun Thomas at times looked lost on the floor, and everyone looked sloppy with the basketball.
Ohio State would come out the gates as the did to start with a jumper from Deshaun Thomas. Jared Sullinger would drain two free throws on separate trips to the line, cutting down the deficit to six. Most of the half, The buckeyes would keep it close in as ugly of fashion as possible.
Both teams would struggle from the floor down the stretch, somehow keeping it close despite Michigan State’s ability to wear down Ohio State mentally. The fact of the matter is neither team could hit shots in the second.
Draymond Green would miss nine straight looks before hitting a layup with 2:50 left on the clock. That’s when the Spartans would lock things up to end the 39 game winning streak for Ohio state at Value City Arena.
Ohio State would miss shot after shot throughout the game and down the stretch. Overall, they shot 25% from the floo and 2-14 from three point range. A major factor in this ballgame was Michigan State’s ability to draw Ohio State into a pure inside game. And when Ohio State did shoot from three, it was forced. Aaron Craft had put together a solid effort, shooting 8-8 from the charity stripe and adding two key field goals for a total of 13.
Credit has to go to Tom Izzo and his team’s ability to stick to the game plan. Adreian Payne was the difference in this more than ugly ballgame. He forced Sullinger to play the worst game of his career, by getting him to play a game based on anger and frustration. Something obviously on the Tom Izzo scouting report.
The Buckeyes now remain in a tie up top of the Big Ten Standings. They will face the Gophers of Minnesota on Valentines Day.
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