Field Level Media
Mar 4, 2023
A.J. Hoggard led five Michigan State players in double figures with 23 points and seven assists as the Spartans defeated Ohio State 84-78 at East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday afternoon.
Joey Hauser had 16 points and six rebounds for Michigan State (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) in the regular season finale for both teams. Tyson Walker contributed 15 points and six assists, Jaden Akins had 13 points and Malik Hall added 10.
Brice Sensabaugh led Ohio State (13-18, 5-15) with 21 points. Bruce Thornton supplied 20 points, Sean McNeil had 11 points and Justice Sueing contributed 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Michigan State made 8 of 14 3-point attempts to take a 43-34 lead at halftime. Hall had 10 points before the break while Thornton also scored 10 to pace the Buckeyes.
The Spartans scored 15 unanswered points to take a 17-4 lead. Hoggard scored the first five of those points on a 3-pointer and a layup. Hall hit a 3-pointer and Hauser followed with two baskets. Tre Holloman capped it with a 3-pointer.
Ohio State cut the Spartans' advantage to four, 25-21, with a 7-0 spurt capped by a McNeil 3-pointer.
The Spartans nudged the lead to 36-26 on Akins' three-point play. Walker scored the final basket of the half.
Hoggard opened the second half with a layup. Sensabaugh then knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Spartans' lead to five.
Hauser's corner 3-pointer with 13 minutes left gave the Spartans a 59-49 lead. Walker made it a 12-point game with a layup.
McNeil cut the deficit to seven on two occasions with 3-pointers. When Thornton drained a 3-pointer with 5:40 left, Michigan State's lead was down to three, 67-64.
Walker answered with a layup. Hauser scored in the lane for a 73-65 advantage. The Buckeyes continued to hang around and Sensabaugh's jumper with 49 seconds cut the Spartans lead to 78-73.
Michigan State closed out the game with free throws.
--Field Level Media