MSU head coach Tom Izzo called it “poetic justice” and Ohio State head coach Thad Matta deemed it another “classic battle.” However you want to say it, MSU’s 59–56 win over No. 23 OSU was a terrific college basketball game.
Executing in crunch time has been a problem for the Spartans all year, but in perhaps the most important game of the season to date, MSU’s offense did exactly what it needed to do.
After a defensive breakdown led to a game-tying three from OSU senior forward Sam Thompson with 36 seconds left, MSU faced another late-game scoring situation. Izzo typically calls a timeout to draw up one final shot, but he allowed his team to play through the closing seconds this time.
“It kind of goes by the situation,” Izzo said. “I do think that Ohio State’s a very good defensive team. I didn’t want to give them a chance to stack up their defense. They were giving us trouble.”
As MSU (17-8 overall, 8-4 Big Ten) got into its set, junior guard Denzel Valentine worked his way around the perimeter, using a screen from junior forward Matt Costello to end up free on the right wing. Freshman guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn drove to the lane before shuffling the ball off to Valentine. The junior guard squared his feet and pulled the trigger, sinking what proved to be the game-winning three with just a few seconds left on the clock.
As fate would have it, Valentine proved to be the hero on the very holiday with which he shares his last name. Izzo and Valentine both knew who needed to take the final shot despite a failed game-winning attempt the previous week against Illinois.
“That’s what I want,” Valentine said. “That’s why I came here. That’s why I work hard — night, in the morning, noon. That’s why I work hard so I can be in this position. You know, coach, he’s huge in my life and he’s been a great leader. ... Last week I kind of let him down and I wanted to make up for it.”
It was a shot at redemption for Valentine, but based on what he had done in the 39 minutes leading up to it, it wasn’t much of a surprise. He had made four three-pointers before the final one, and his importance on the court was undeniable.
After picking up his third foul with 14:25 left in the second half, Valentine was forced to sit for the next six minutes. In that span, the Buckeyes outscored MSU 14-8. It was evident the Spartans needed their captain on the floor, and with his game-winning shot, Valentine once again proved his worth.
Slowing down a superstar
Heading into the game, MSU’s defensive keys pointed to one player — freshman guard D’Angelo Russell. Russell had been terrific in his first collegiate season and skyrocketed up NBA draft boards. As a potential top-five draft pick, the Spartans knew slowing down OSU started with slowing down Russell.
Izzo rotated defenders on Russell, as senior forward Branden Dawson, Nairn and Valentine all had opportunities to match up with the standout freshman.
“I thought we did a very good job on Russell,” Izzo said. “I could argue it, but I’m not sure I would. I think he’s maybe the best player in this league.”
Russell, the Big Ten’s second leading scorer, managed just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the floor. Matta said after the game that MSU’s physicality provided some problems, but also that his guard might have been worn down from playing three games in six days.
MSU has let some of the best scorers in the Big Ten torch them, such as Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Nebraska’s Terran Petteway. On Saturday, the Spartans were all over Russell.
“He was a tough cover, I’m not gonna lie because he had like three or four inches on me,” Nairn said of Russell. “I really play defense with my heart. If you guard with your heart, everything takes care of itself. ... Every shot that he made tonight was tough. I don’t think he had a wide open shot, so that was good for us.”
Dawson dominates
Dawson realized the importance in defeating a top 25 team, and for those watching the game, it was difficult to lose him on the court. He soared for rebounds, altered and blocked OSU shots — from the perimeter, nonetheless — and even added a scoring punch. Dawson finished with an impressive 15 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and four assists.
Dawson’s passing and vision were game changers. Whether it was a pinpoint pass to senior guard Travis Trice in transition, or a skip to Valentine on the opposite wing for three, his vision was a major factor in MSU’s offensive success.
Two of the most important plays of Dawson’s game came from a place that hasn’t been very forgiving to him — the free-throw line. With 3:18 left in the second half, Dawson stepped to the stripe.
“When Dawson had the free throws, I told him he was going to make them because that’s what seniors do,” Izzo said.
He made the first one, drawing a laugh from his head coach. The second one hit nothing but net, and Izzo exploded with two powerful fist pumps. He was fired up and so was the Breslin crowd, erupting with noise.
Dawson has taken heat over the years for having a “motor” that isn’t always running at full speed, but after seeing the senior line up against him for four years, Matta had nothing but respect for him in his postgame press conference.
“My question (is) who in their right mind with a brain would criticize Branden Dawson,” Matta said. “I mean, you’ve got to be a moron to criticize that kid. ... I think of all the great players I’ve coached against, I think he’s one of them.”
Former players provide motivation
With the NBA season taking a break for All-Star Weekend, former Spartan players and current professionals had the chance to watch their team firsthand. Draymond Green, Gary Harris and Adreian Payne were in the crowd to watch MSU, and even former Buckeye and All-American Evan Turner visited Breslin for the game.
According to Dawson, Harris and Payne practiced with the team on Friday, working with the scout team defensively.
Having those players in the stands was plenty of motivation for the players, not that they needed too much more.
“Every time you run down the court, you see them,” Valentine said. “You know, we’ve been talking about it for two days and Day Day (Green)’s been talking stuff to us about how Russell’s gonna come in here and kill us. It was cool getting a win in front of them. They built this place and this program so it was huge for them to be here.”
Dawson echoed that opinion.
“Just to see those guys come back, it just lets you know where their heart is,” Dawson said. “It’s a tradition here. Just to see them come back and support, it feels good for us. When I leave here, I’m gonna do the same thing.”
