National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Michigan St. 69, Michigan 55
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 16, 2014
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Officials: # Michael Kitts, # Terry Wymer, # Gene Steratore
Attendance: 18582


No. 22 Michigan State 69, No. 9 Michigan 55: Adreian Payne posted 18 points and nine rebounds as the Spartans defeated the Wolverines in Indianapolis to claim their second Big Ten tournament title in three years.

Gary Harris and Branden Dawson – named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player – added 15 points apiece for third-seeded Michigan State (26-8), which avenged a pair of single-digit regular-season losses to its in-state rival and overcame a 2-of-17 effort from the 3-point line. The Spartans, who won the Big Ten tournament for the fourth time, held Michigan to 31.5-percent shooting from the field.

Nik Stauskas led the way with 13 of his 17 points in the first half for top-seed Michigan (25-8), which saw its seven-game winning streak snapped and likely fell out of the discussion for one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. Derrick Walton Jr. scored 11 points and was the only other Wolverine to finish in double figures.

Michigan State diffused a quick start by Michigan and held the Wolverines to one field goal for more than seven minutes while Harris and Dawson combined for the first 12 points during a 21-5 surge that gave the Spartans their first double-digit advantage at 25-14. The Spartans refused to let their lead dip below seven and took a nine-point edge into the break after a late dunk by Harris.

Payne and Dawson took advantage of another dry spell by Michigan to open the second half, combining for the first eight points after intermission to extend the margin to 17. The Wolverines closed the gap to 10 on multiple occasions down the stretch, but a combined 23 points after the break from the Spartans’ frontcourt duo kept Michigan State in control.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Michigan State remained unbeaten in Big Ten tournament title games. … Dawson averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds during the Spartans’ three-game run. … Michigan State outscored Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Michigan 121-77 in the first half, holding its three opponents to a combined 33.3 percent shooting from the field over that time frame.

Top Game Performances
 
Michigan St.   Michigan
Adreian Payne 18 Scoring Nik Stauskas 17
Travis Trice 4 Assists Caris LeVert 4
Adreian Payne 9 Rebounds Jordan Morgan 6
Adreian Payne 5 Free Throws Made Nik Stauskas 6
Gary Harris 3 Steals Spike Albrecht 1
Gavin Schilling 2 Blocks Max Bielfeldt 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Michigan St. 69 50.0 2-17 13-16 14 37 6 7 10
Michigan 55 31.5 6-23 15-16 7 23 3 3 9