“That’s a good team,” Izzo said. “And we just didn’t get enough done.”

Eight MSU players scored in the game, but every time the Spartans seemed to have a chance to build a lead, OSU responded.

Senior guard Kalin Lucas started the scoring Tuesday night with a layup on MSU’s first possession of the game.

OSU responded with four quick points, but the Spartans — helped by two buckets from freshman center Adreian Payne — fought to just an 8-6 deficit at the first media timeout.

Payne and MSU continued to battle the Buckeyes until the next media timeout with 11:12 left in the half, when the Spartans held a 13-12 lead.

As Izzo said he would leading up to the game, MSU threw multiple bodies at OSU big man Jared Sullinger. In the first eight minutes, Payne and sophomore centers Garrick Sherman and sophomore center Derrick Nix all took on the star freshman.

The trio did its job, holding Sullinger scoreless for the first 10:28, while also scoring 11 of MSU’s first 15 points.

“I was most proud of our three bigs,” Izzo said. “They rotated in there and did a great job.”

With 7:41 left in the half and the Spartans down 20-18, Payne made another basket to tie the game. The foul was called on Sullinger — his second personal — and Payne made the free throw to give MSU a 21-20 lead.

Sullinger would not play the rest of the half, and finished the half with four points on 2-for-5 shooting.

While Sullinger sat on the bench, both teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the half, as OSU took a 35-34 lead into the break.

MSU took advantage of Sullinger’s absence by shooting 62.5 percent from the field, and the Spartans’ three centers — Nix, Payne and Sherman — scored 19 of MSU’s 24 points in the paint in the first 20 minutes.

Lucas did not light up the scoreboard, netting six points, but broke down the Buckeyes’ defense and dished out three assists, as seven Spartans scored in the first half. Much like the beginning of the game, the second half started with MSU drawing the first blood, as a Sherman layup put the Spartans up 36-35 early.

MSU and OSU battled to a 42-42 tie at the first media timeout of the half with 15:46 to play.
With MSU trailing by one, the Spartans committed two straight turnovers that lead to four straight OSU points. A tip-in by senior guard Mike Kebler broke up the OSU run, but Buckeye guard Jon Diebler then hit a 3-pointer. Diebler’s 3-pointer capped a 10-2 run for OSU, and gave the Buckeyes a 52-46 lead — the biggest of the game to that point — with about 11 minutes to play.

The Spartans continued to struggle with turnovers, allowing OSU to score 23 points off of 19 total miscues for the game. Izzo said turnovers and the Buckeyes’ 23 free throws decided the game.

“We did just about everything we wanted to, except turn the damn ball over and never get to the free throw line,” Izzo said.

Then, with 1:42 left, junior forward Draymond Green committed a personal foul and compounded problems by drawing a technical foul. OSU guard Aaron Craft made both free throws for the personal and one of the two technical free throws. Those free throws gave OSU a 69-59 lead and all but sealed the game.

Lucas led MSU with 14 points and five assists, followed by 10 points from Green and Payne. Buford had 23 for OSU to lead all scorers, while the Spartans did a decent job on Sullinger, holding him to just 11 points, well below his season average of 18.

Next up for MSU is a 9 p.m. game Saturday at Breslin against Illinois.

“We’re coming to play Illinois,” Izzo said. “I promise you that.”