| Michigan State 72, PURDUE 66 East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center (14,797) - Box Score | Box Score  | SoundCloud Audio | Photos  | Media CenterSocial Media: @BoilerBall  | Facebook  | Instragram | SoundCloud |
Dakota Mathias scored 12 points with six rebounds in the loss to Michigan State.
#BoilerNotes
- Purdue has now lost seven straight games to the Spartans, but lead the series, 65-52. No current player on the Purdue roster has defeated the Spartans.
- A.J. Hammons became the third player in Big Ten history, and the first since Ohio State's Herb Williams in 1980, to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 250 blocks by the end of his junior season.
- Michigan State became just the third Big Ten team to score 70 or more points against Purdue.
- Over the last three games, Purdue is 25-of-54 (.463) from three-point range.
- All nine of Purdue's Big Ten road games were determined by single-digits.
- Kendall Stephens' five three-pointers give him 132 for his career, moving past Brian Cardinal into 12th place on the career 3PM list.
- Dakota Mathias has scored in double-figures in three straight games and four of the last five, going 12-of-25 (.480) from three-point range in that span. He also hauled down a career-high six rebounds. Mathias' 34 three-pointers this year are the sixth most in school history by a Purdue freshman.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A relieved Tom Izzo arrived for his postgame news conference and reflected on a night when some of his players could have used a few pads and a helmet.
''Welcome to NFL Films,'' the Michigan State coach said. ''That was a hell of a game. I don't know where to start, because there were so many things that happened, and I just know there were two teams that played awfully hard.''
Travis Trice equaled a career high with 27 points and Matt Costello lifted Michigan State at both ends of the court, helping the Spartans to a 72-66 victory over Purdue on Wednesday night. Michigan State played the whole second half without Branden Dawson, who appeared to take a shot to the head and was limited to nine minutes on his senior night.
Somehow, Michigan State (20-10, 11-6 Big Ten) held its own inside against Purdue's pair of 7-footers. A.J. Hammons managed only seven points on 3-of-12 shooting for the Boilermakers (19-11, 11-6), and Isaac Haas had nine points but only two rebounds.
''You have to give Michigan State credit,'' Purdue coach Matt Painter said. ''I thought they were mentally and physically tougher than us in the second half.''
Michigan State snapped a two-game losing streak and at least momentarily calmed concerns over its NCAA tournament chances. Purdue, meanwhile, missed a chance to pick up a significant road win as the regular season winds down.
The game was physical from the start. Purdue's Dakota Mathias left for a bit with what looked like a head injury, and Dawson appeared to be hit in the head during a scramble for a rebound in the first half.
With the Boilermakers up 25-16, Hammons was called for a flagrant foul. Michigan State cut into the lead and trailed 30-27 at halftime, but Dawson did not return until after the game when he came out for senior night festivities.
''He was out of it when I went in at halftime. He was flat on the table,'' Izzo said. ''I have no idea right now - says he feels a little better.''
Already without Dawson, the Spartans lost Denzel Valentine early in the second half - but what looked like an injury to his right leg only kept the junior out for 81 seconds. Michigan State guard Tum Tum Nairn was limping around at one point in the second half, and Trice was shaken up in the final minutes when Purdue's Basil Smotherman knocked him over in the open court after Michigan State broke the Boilermakers' press.
''It was a MASH unit,'' Izzo said. ''What I give those guys credit for - I mean, Dawson couldn't come back, he was out - but the other guys all sucked it up.''
Costello in particular began to assert himself, defending valiantly against Hammons and keeping Purdue from establishing any real superiority around the basket. Costello finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and 6-foot-7 junior Colby Wollenman pitched in with four points and four rebounds in 14 minutes - the most he's played in his career against a Big Ten opponent.
''Colby looked like a midget up there on that guy, didn't he? He was so small,'' Izzo said. ''He was battling.''
Michigan State went on a 13-1 run early in the second half and took a 45-34 lead, and Trice helped the Spartans maintain a comfortable advantage. Early in the first half, he took off for a pair of one-handed breakaway dunks, and that was only the beginning. He scored 18 points in the second half.
LONG DISTANCE
Kendall Stephens led Purdue with 16 points, and all five of his field goals came from 3-point range. Mathias scored 12 points and did not attempt a shot from inside the arc.
''I just think our offense got a little stagnant,'' Mathias said. ''They made some tough shots down the stretch, and Travis Trice had a great night. It was just tough.''
UP NEXT
Purdue: Hosts Illinois on Saturday.