Spartans fall to Ohio State at buzzer
Sunday was inexcusable. Michigan State had a double-digit lead on Ohio State, a bottom-feeding Big Ten team that was without its best shooter. The Spartans were in front of their loud home crowd and have been discussing the increased sense of urgency after losing at Breslin Center just five days earlier.
Still, Michigan State allowed it to be a one-possession game in the final minute and suffered a devastating 60-57 loss with a reserve Ohio State guard hitting a last-second shot.
“It’s tough,” Tyson Walker said. “We didn’t do everything right to win the game and they did.”
If Michigan State can’t put away a Jamison Battle-less Ohio State team at Breslin Center, what makes the Spartans think they’ll be able to mount any type of run next month?
The Spartans were up by 10 at the half and seemed to be well in control of Sunday’s game — until they weren’t.
It was a cruel finish, and Michigan State only had itself to blame for letting it get to that point.
Roddy Gale knocked in a pair of free throws to give Ohio State its first lead with 11 seconds left.
Walker had a chance to redeem himself after struggling all day. Walker was fouled with 6.4 seconds left and sent to the freethrow line with Michigan State down 57-56. The ball got wedged between the glass and the rim on his first shot. The second went in to tie the score at 57.
As the clock wound down, Dale Bonner, a career 27.5% 3-point shooter, drilled the winner from behind the arc over Walker, prompting the Buckeyes’ bench to storm the court in celebration while the officials reviewed the shot.
There were 0.2 seconds remaining, but Michigan State already seemed to have accepted defeat.
Michigan State led for all but six seconds of Sunday’s game,