“We addressed it all year. We shot free throws at night, shot free throws early in the morning,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said. “Sometimes when it rains, it pours.”

It’s hard to explain a night like this in many ways, but the free throw shooting has to be the most befuddling. 

Nick Ward, who had been so improved all year, went 1-for-9 from the line, eliciting groans from the crowd reminiscent of his freshman year. He came in shooting 68.2 percent, a solid line, and had made big free throws late in road wins over Rutgers and Ohio State.

“I just missed. I did my same routine, I just missed,” Ward said.

The free throw shooting snowballed. Aaron Henry missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Kenny Goins, who was brilliant tonight in most other aspects, missed a huge free throw late. Matt McQuaid, who came in shooting 83.3 percent on the year, split a pair. 

The frustration from the free throw shooting manifested itself in other areas. Closeouts weren’t crisp, loose balls weren’t grabbed by the Spartans. Goins admitted as much postgame.

“Maybe we let the extracurriculars get to us, maybe it just seemed like we let other parts of our game affect us from the line, but whatever it was, that’s usually one of the things that gets you upset is shooting bad from the free throw line,” he said.

Defensive Rebounding Woes Haunt Spartans

Indiana grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, five days after Purdue had 16. Izzo post game barely addressed the free throw shooting, focusing most of his energy on the lack of defensive rebounding, which he saw as a lack of effort.

“It's totally an effort thing, and we don't work on it. We play wimp ball now,” Izzo said. “We're so afraid of the injuries and everything. There's no excuse for anybody but me. I said Thursday that we didn't have a very good practice, not practicing very physical. That falls on me, that'll change.”

Winston was similarly apoplectic.

“That can’t happen. It can’t ever be effort. It can’t ever be 'somebody out-competed us,'” Winston said. “A team that outplayed us can beat us. I don’t think they outplayed us, they just worked harder, they got after the ball better. That’s how we lost.”

The Hoosiers lost their best rebounder, senior Juwan Morgan, midway through the first half. In stepped De’Ron Davis, a junior who has been in and out of the lineup because of a sore ankle. He, along with sophomore forward Justin Smith, dominated MSU’s frontcourt on the glass. They got to the loose balls that Michigan State didn’t.

Purdue coach Matt Painter said Sunday that, when his team recorded 16 offensive rebounds, it was an example of them beating the Spartans at their own game, a physical brand of basketball that has characterized Michigan State nationally for most of Izzo’s tenure. Izzo disagreed after this game with that idea.

“We get pegged as a physical team because we used to be one,” he said. “We're not a very physical team right now. Indiana got every loose ball, they got all the rebounds, they banged us around inside.”

When a team known for its physical presence gives up 36 offensive rebounds in two games, it’s not hard to guess their record in those games.

The Spartans will try to pick up the pieces Tuesday night at a surging Illinois.