Ohio State Can't Slow Down Michigan State's 3-Point Shooting in Loss

The Ohio State Buckeyes had no answer for the Michigan State Spartans' 3-point shooting Sunday, as they are back in the loss column ahead of the Big Ten Tournament.

Author:
Casey Smith
Mar 4, 2023 2:26 PM EST

In this story:

Ohio State Buckeyes

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans looked like an NBA team Sunday.

Guard Bruce Thornton and forward Brice Sensabaugh combined for 41 points, but it wasn't enough as the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-18, 5-15 Big Ten) had no answer for Michigan State's (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) lights-out 3-point shooting, losing their regular-season finale 84-78 at the Breslin Center.

Carrying a theme from its previous three games in which it shot 37-for-65 from deep, 42.9 percent of Michigan State's scoring Sunday came via the 3.

The Spartans shot 12-of-20 from downtown with four different players making at least two 3-pointers.

Ohio State's inability to completely close its deficits came in part because of Michigan State's 3-point shooting, as six of the Spartans' 12 triples came on the next possession following a Buckeyes made basket.

Sensabaugh drained a pair of 3s on back-to-back possessions, which was countered with a triple from Michigan State guard Tyson Walker to extend its lead back out to eight with 18:22 to go in the second half.

Sensabaugh finished with a team-high 21 points, as Thornton added 20.

The Buckeyes held Michigan State scoreless for a 3:41 stretch which was ended by a 3 from guard Jaden Akins, but Ohio State scored 10 of the next 13 points.

Ohio State went on a 7-0 run across a 1:26 stretch capped off by a Thornton 3, trimming its deficit to 67-64 and prompting a timeout from Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.

Spartans guard A.J. Hoggard helped seal the victory with a pair of free throws with 1:44 to go and a layup on their ensuing offensive possession. He finished with 23 points on 6-for-11 from the field and 9-of-11 at the charity stripe.

Ohio State outscored Michigan State 44-41 in the second half, but the Spartans scored 11 of their final 15 points at the free-throw line.

Sensabaugh knocked down a pair of free throws to open the game followed by a Justice Sueing — who recorded a career-high seven assists — layup 39 seconds later as Ohio State took an early 4-2 lead.

However, the Buckeyes went scoreless for the next 6:54, while Michigan State rode a 15-0 run to stretch its lead to 17-4.

Ohio State started 1-for-9 from the field but shot 61.1 percent from the floor across the final 12:06 of the first half.

A 3-pointer from guard Sean McNeil capped off a 7-0 Ohio State run to cut the deficit to four points.

Led by a pair of 3-pointers from forward Malik Hall and Akins, Michigan State countered and lengthened its lead back out to 10, carrying a 43-34 lead into halftime.

The Spartans ran the floor on the Buckeyes, who had multiple possessions in which they lost their defensive assignment in transition, as Michigan State had 23 fast-break points to Ohio State's nine.

Ohio State is locked in as the 13-seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes don't know who their opponent is yet, but they will face whoever slots in as the No. 12 seed Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.