Ohio State stuns No. 1 Michigan State

After missing the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons, roster shake-ups and a coaching change, Ohio State surged back toward national relevance with a signature win over the country’s top-ranked team.

Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 32 points, and the surprising Buckeyes stunned No. 1 Michigan State 80-64 on Sunday, bringing the fans at Value City Arena streaming onto the court to celebrate.

“This is a moment our fans and our players will remember for a long time,” first-year coach Chris Holtmann said. “It feels really good.”

Ohio State (13-4, 4-0 Big Ten) put together an electrifying 120 run to finish the first half and then kept its foot on the gas to win its third straight and take down the best team it is likely to see this season. The mistakeprone Spartans (15-2, 3-1) lost for the first time in their last 15 games, dating back to a sevenpoint loss to then-No. 1 Duke on Nov. 14.

The Buckeyes thumped a Michigan State team that was leading the nation in most offensive categories but shot poorly and committed a dozen turnovers.

“We all knew we could do it,” said Ohio State forward Jae’Sean Tate, who scored 13 points. “And that’s where it all started. You can’t go into a game against a team like Michigan State not believing that it’s possible to win. I think that’s the biggest factor of us winning tonight, just the belief that we could do it.”