It was tough, physical and at times downright sloppy during No. 25 MSU's grinding win against Ohio State on Thursday at Breslin Center.
The Spartans (9-4 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) outlasted the Buckeyes (7-5, 0-1) 66-55, halting a two-game losing skid.
"Early we had some serious defensive mistakes that gave (Ohio State guard Brent Darby) those open threes," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. "I thought we made some adjustments and did a better job there. I can't say we played great, but we played well enough to win and this time of year you have to do that."
MSU sophomore forward Alan Anderson led the Spartans with 18 points, shooting 2-for-4 from the floor and connecting on 14-of-14 shots from the foul line. He led the team in scoring for the first time this season. He said he might have had some outside help.
"I was struggling in the first half, so I had to start talking to the rim," Anderson said. "I said, 'Come on, please.'"
Darby led the Buckeyes with 16 points, playing a game-high 38 minutes. He left the game late in the second half with a sprained knee and did not return.
Ohio State played shorthanded most of the night. Buckeye guard Sean Connolly and forward Terence Dials did not play.
The game was noted by a complete turnaround in Spartan free-throw shooting. MSU shot a near-perfect 29-for-30 from the charity stripe after shooting only 67.5 percent in foul shots the last five games.
While foul shots saw a marked improvement, Spartan rebounding did not. MSU was outrebounded 34-29 by the Buckeyes, clearing only six offensive boards to Ohio State's 16.
"I don't think I've ever coached a team that got outrebounded by 10 on offense since I've been here," Izzo said.
MSU freshman guard Maurice Ager was the difference off the Spartan bench, igniting the Spartan offense. Ager scored a career-high 15 points, enough to garner praise from Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien.
"We clearly went into the game to try and take (MSU sophomore guard Chris Hill) out," O'Brien said of the Buckeyes defensive plan. "We were going to make someone else beat us," O'Brien said. "And Ager came in. You've got to give him a lot of credit on the job he did."
Ager responded to his first Big Ten appearance by demonstrating what he called "just a love for the game."
"You want to go out there and play hard," Ager said, adding the pressures of a Big Ten contest made the game "a little different."
Hill, who scored only four points, lauded the freshman's performance.
"When you can have guys step up, especially with the talent on the wings, it's hard to take just one guy away," Hill said.
Patrick Walters can be reached at walter88@msu.edu.
