Indiana Stumbles at Michigan State, 80-65

Tuesday, February 21

East Lansing, Mich.

9:00 PM

Indiana University

19-9,10-7Big Ten

Michigan State

17-10,9-7Big Ten

Indiana

Michigan St.

2/21/2023 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Game Notes Watch | Highlights Photo Gallery

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan State emotion was raw, the play inspired, the Breslin Center crowd frenzied.

Indiana had no counter.

Likely no team in America could have.

Not on Tuesday night. Not with the Spartans hosting a game for the first time since the previous week's mass shooting that killed three students and critically injured five more.

The No. 17 Hoosiers (19-9 overall, 10-7 in the Big Ten) lost 80-65. It was their most points allowed since Penn State totaled 85 on Jan. 11. They split the season series with Michigan State after having won in Bloomington last month.

"We haven't given up 80 points in a long time," coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. "We gave up second-chance points, offensive rebounds where it was kicked out for threes.

"It was just one of those games. Give them credit. They played well. We played well at home against them. They played well here against us."

IU, which showed support by wearing green Spartan Strong t-shirts, couldn't hold a nine-point, first-half lead, gave up a closing 11-2 run and trailed by six at halftime.

"We came out ready to play," Woodson told Fischer, "but we didn't sustain it. At the eight- to nine-minute mark of the first half, we went the other way. They ran off to the lead."

With the game on the line, IU was outscored 17-2 on bench points and 13-4 in second-chance points. It was 12-for-16 from the line to Michigan State's 18-for-19. It had five three-pointers to the Spartans' 10. It was outrebounded 33-24.

Spartans guard Tyson Walker was the catalyst with five three-pointers and 23 points.

"He made a couple on desperation shots, but tip your hat to that," Woodson told Fischer. "He had a hell of a game."

Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and seven turnovers. Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 points. Trey Galloway at 11 points.

It wasn't nearly enough.

"We didn't start the second half well," Woodson told Fischer. "We missed some bunnies early. Their rebounding led to offensive put backs and then to second-chance points. That was the big difference in the second half."

IU opened 5-for-7 from the field -- while holding Michigan State (17-10, 9-7) to 1-for-6 shooting -- for a 12-3 lead five minutes into the game. It grew to 22-13 as the Hoosiers mixed efficient offense (56 percent shooting) with stifling defense (forcing six Spartan turnovers, holding them to 33 percent shooting).

Michigan State rallied for a 24-24 tie behind three Walker three-pointers. IU responded with a deep Miller Kopp three-pointer and a 27-24 advantage with three minutes left before the Spartans surged to a 35-29 halftime lead.

Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers with nine points, but only took six shots.

Michigan State opened the second half with a pair of three-pointers in 76 seconds for a 41-31 lead. Woodson called a timeout to refocus the defense, but IU gave up two more three-pointers for a 13-point deficit.

The Hoosiers rallied within eight. The Spartans pushed it back to 12. IU closed within five. Michigan State stretched it to 13 with seven minutes left and stayed in control the rest of the way.

Indiana's final road game of the season comes Saturday at No. 5 Purdue. The Hoosiers won the first meeting at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall last month.

"We have to go home, regroup and get ready for Purdue," Woodson told Fischer.