Michigan State Beats Ohio State 66-60 Despite Bruce Thornton’s 32 Points
Michigan State presented the Ohio State men’s basketball team with a great opportunity on Saturday. Ohio State fought well and led at halftime. However, they fell 66-60 and have only beaten one ranked opponent.
Ohio State is now 17–10 overall and 9–7 in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State is now, after the win, 22–5 overall and 12–4 in the Big Ten Conference. Do you think Ohio State has done enough to make the NCAA Tournament?
Michigan State Beats Ohio State Summary
Despite Michigan State beating Ohio State 66-60, Ohio State senior guard Buce Thornton had 32 points. Thornton was undone a bit by Carson Cooper’s twenty points and eleven rebounds. Ohio State was hurt by John Mobley Jr being out with an injury and Devin Royal being out with an illness.
Ohio State, with its loss to Michigan State, still lacks a win over a Quadrant One team this year. They are 0-9, hurting their NCAA Tournament chances. That said, Ohio State fought valiantly in this game. The Spartans had a double-digit lead with 1:35 left, and Ohio State scored seven straight points to pull within three points.
Michigan State and Ohio State: More Detailed Scoring Summary
The first half started slowly. The two teams combined for just six points in the first four minutes, and got off to a 1-of-9 combined shooting start. The Spartans took a 9-6 lead off a 3-pointer from guard Kur Teng, but Thornton answered with a floater, giving him six of Ohio State’s first eight points. This was a theme for the Buckeyes, as Thornton tried to rescue them.
Thornton scored 10 of the Buckeyes’ first 14. He hit a three-pointer to cap an 8-0 run that gave Ohio State a 14-9 lead. During this strech, the Ohio State defense was very good, and the Spartans went more than five minutes without scoring.
Ohio State extended its first-half lead as Thornton and his teammates did well. Thornton scored 16 of 26 first-half points for Ohio State. Michigan State shot only 29.6% from the field in the first half, and Ohio State leads 26-23 at halftime.
In the second half, Thornton scored first, but it was not long before Michigan State took the lead, however. They went on an 8-0 run. Thornton then hit a three-pointer.
The game went back and forth, but Michigan State went on a 6-0 run, which made their lead ten points, double-digits, 61-51, with 2:50 to play. Nevertheless, Ohio State came back. The Buckeyes cut the Spartan lead to 63-60 with 14 seconds left. However, they ran out of time, and the Spartans won the game 66-60.
Player of the Game
The player of the game was Bruce Thornton, who scored 32 points in the loss to Michigan State. He is now in second place all-time on the Ohio State scoring list. He needs help, however.
Turning Point of the Game
As Ohio State got within 3 points with just fourteen seconds to play, the turning point of this game was in the waning seconds. With just fourteen of those left to go, the Spartans hit three free throws and won 66-60.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Spartans won the game over the Buckeyes 66-60. The player of the game was Bruce Thornton, who scored 32 points for Ohio State in a losing effort. The turning point of the game was with fourteen seconds left, when Ohio State had pulled to within three points. Michigan State then hit three free throws to win the game.
Parting Shots
This was an important loss for Ohio State. The game was an opportunity for the Buckeyes to beat a quartent one opponent. They are now 0-9 against such opponents, which hurts their NCAA Tournament resume. Ohio State plays at Iowa on Wednesday at 9 pm. The Spartans travel to number seven Purdue on Thursday.
