The MSU men’s basketball team beat No. 15 Iowa 71-69 in Iowa City in an overtime thriller Tuesday night.
Iowa hit 30 free throws, but didn’t score for more than 15 minutes during the second half and overtime. Their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the injury-ridden Spartans.
A crucial three-pointer by redshirt junior guard Russell Byrd late in the game and some opportunistic Spartan defense also helped MSU hang on.
Despite facing the highest-scoring team in the Big Ten, MSU’s defense was on display early as they only allowed Iowa to score one field goal in the first five minutes.
Five Spartans got on the scoresheet before the Big Ten’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Gary Harris, did. Harris slashed through the Hawkeye defense to end a five-minute field goal drought in the first half.
He finished the first half with just two points, five rebounds and two assists.
Iowa went on the offensive in the second half, going on an 8-2 run early, but a Keith Appling three-pointer followed by a Denzel Valentine dunk silenced the crowd.
Valentine continued his strong play when his three-point shot was blocked, following up his shot, getting a rebound and laying it in.
After taking just one shot in the Spartans’ 80-75 loss to Michigan, junior guard Travis Trice hit two three-pointers in the second half.
Iowa shut MSU down on the offensive end, and didn’t allow the Spartans to score in more than three minutes while at the same time going to on a 7-0 run to push their lead to six points.
But again, MSU wouldn’t go away.
Appling hit a three-pointer followed by two buckets by sophomore forward Matt Costello to give MSU the lead again.
MSU held Iowa without a field goal for the last 9:56, but Iowa made 11 free throws in that span.
Overtime started in the same way as regulation ended, with Iowa relying on free throws to stay in the game.
Iowa’s first field goal didn’t come until after a 15-minute drought, but it was a big time shot and Roy Devyn Marble drew the foul on Harris to give Iowa a chance at a miracle.
Appling missed a pair of free throws, but the Hawkeyes couldn’t convert with four seconds left.
Marble, Iowa’s leading scorer on the season, led Iowa with 21 points and Aaron White grabbed seven rebounds.
Appling led MSU with 16 points, and Valentine added 12 despite missing most of the second half and overtime because of foul trouble.
In place of injured forwards Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson, Costello came up big on the boards for the second straight game.
He had eight rebounds against Michigan, and a double-double with 12 rebounds and 11 points against the Hawkeyes.
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MSU has an out-of-conference game against Georgetown at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
