But somehow, the two players destined for NBA futures failed to provide the story of the game. Missing sophomore forward Zed Key due to an ankle injury and fifth-year forward Kyle Young due to illness, the Buckeyes leaned on graduate center Joey Brunk to provide them with some much-needed size and length. Averaging only 1.3 points heading into the game, Brunk more than made the most of his third start of the season with 18 points, six rebounds and an unheralded defensive presence in the post that Michigan State struggled to find an answer for at points. 

Meanwhile, the Spartans (19-11, 10-9) turned in a performance that saw them give up an inordinate amount of points in the paint (36 to 18) and struggled to find an answer for Ohio State’s shooters in key moments. Errant turnovers in the halfcourt got turned into touchdowns by an eager Buckeyes squad, hampering the road team's chances even further in a game they never led. 

Like their last three losses, the Spartans found themselves in an uncomfortably familiar position as Ohio State did exactly what it wanted with them in the first five minutes, racing out to a 13-0 lead after five straight makes to start the game. Branham started the onslaught with a three on their first possession before Liddell followed up with one of his own as the Buckeyes took an early stranglehold on the game before their opponents could collect themselves. 

Sophomore guard A.J. Hoggard finally got Michigan State on the board with a layup to kick off a three-for-three stretch from the field for his team, but Ohio State simply pressed on. Liddell was his regular dynamic self while Brunk surprisingly pushed the Spartans’ bigs around on both ends of the floor. 

But, slowly, the Spartans inched their way back into the game. Freshman guard Jaden Akins and redshirt senior Joey Hauser started their run with a three and an end-around layup, respectively, to get within ten before a single Liddell free-throw bumped Ohio State up 22-11 near the midpoint of the first half. 

A three from Hauser built on a pair of Akins free throws to make it 22-16 just as Michigan State started to provide some due resistance on the defensive end. After Brunk’s early monopoly in the post, junior center Julius Marble II finally began to push back, leading Ohio State to bring in Liddell at the five. 

Liddell proceeded to turn it over and usher in the first stretch of the game where the Buckeyes truly appeared to struggle on offense as Michigan State mustered the most aggression on defense they’d found all game. After sophomore guard Eugene Brown III air-balled an open three, Brown struck from deep for the first time and drew the Spartans even closer. 

Liddell answered with one of his own before Marble got it back with a layup in the paint off a pass from freshman guard Max Christie. Junior guard Tyson Walker then found Brown in the corner for another attempt from deep, one he buried to make it 27-25, the closest the Spartans had been all game.

But like that, it all fell apart for the Spartans. Brunk built the lead back up by bullying Hauser in the post on a pair of possessions before Wheeler and Branham hit a couple of threes to get the crowd back into it. Bingham corked off two triples of his own to bring Michigan State back within 12, but a last-second possession layup from Branham secured a 43-33 halftime deficit for the road team. 

Liddell and Branham started the second half much like they did the first by opening the scoring themselves to keep the Spartans down 14. Christie’s three in the opening minutes once again brought them within 10, but the Spartans continued to falter under the pressure of a Buckeyes offense that continued to churn away and disrupt any chance of a comeback. 

Michigan State seemed to find an inkling of rhythm on offense with around eight minutes left, but Ohio State continued to push back and keep its lead fluctuating between 10 and 15. Brown’s three on the break brought the Spartans back within 10. 

Just like before, the Spartans failed to cut it any closer, thanks to the efforts of Ohio State’s two star players. Branham rose up for a jumper to make it 69-56, and Liddell kept the pace with one of his own before Branham brought the house down with a monstrous dunk to retake a 14 point lead.

It was Brunk who provided the emphatic dagger with a slam of his own with 1:41 to go to bring his point total within two of his career-high. The buzzer soon sounded, Carmen Ohio blared throughout the Schottenheimer Center, and the Spartans fell 80-69, another dismal result to dwell on before closing the regular season on Sunday against Maryland.