Michigan State Streak Hits 50

The streak lives.

It started at Michigan State 45 months ago with players such as Morris Peterson, and it continued Saturday with some Spartans few have heard of.

Adam Ballinger scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the 23rd-ranked Spartans defeated No. 6 Arizona, 74-60, at East Lansing, Mich., to extend the nation’s longest home winning streak to 50 games.

“They realized that this was their chance to make a mark for themselves,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said. “This is the first mark they get to make. It’s not the biggest thing in the world, it’s not going to make national news, but it’s important to our program and it’s important to those players.”

The Spartans (6-3) got off to a good start, never trailed and held off the Wildcats (5-2) after they began the second half with a 10-0 run.

The 50 consecutive victories at the Breslin Center ties a Big Ten record held by Ohio State (1959-63) and Indiana (1991-95). Only seven of Michigan State’s 50 wins at home have been by less than 10 points.

Marcus Taylor had 19 points, six assists and six rebounds while helping the defensive effort against Jason Gardner, who scored 17 points on three-of-14 shooting. Gardner entered the game averaging 24.2 points.

Luke Walton and Rick Anderson each scored 15 points for Arizona, which began the season unranked but rose to sixth after beating Maryland, Florida, Texas, Illinois and Texas.

“I’m disgusted,” Anderson said. “We came out like turtles, mentally weak and unprepared. They ran past us like hares and were just tougher than us.”

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No. 15 Iowa 83, No. 2 Missouri 65--Luke Recker scored a career-high 31 points and helped stifle All-American Kareem Rush as the Hawkeyes (9-3) knocked off the previously undefeated Tigers (9-1) at Columbia, Mo.

Iowa also got 15 points and 17 rebounds from Reggie Evans and shot 49% to avenge a bitter loss to the Tigers about a month ago. Missouri scored 16 of the last 20 points for a 78-77 victory in the championship game of the Guardians Classic on Nov. 21 in Kansas City, but shot a season-worst 33.3% in the rematch.

“We can’t make up for that loss,” Recker said. “But we win tonight in a lot tougher environment.”

Rush, who leads the Big 12 in scoring with a 20.2 average, was four of 18 for 14 points--almost all of them with the game long settled--with Recker often dogging him. He missed all eight shots and had only two points in the first half.

No. 4 Kansas 106, South Carolina State 73--Drew Gooden had 25 points and a career-high 21 rebounds and Nick Collison, the other half of Kansas’ junior forward duo, had 14 points and 13 rebounds at Lawrence, Kan., as the Jayhawks (8-1) won their eighth in a row.

Moses Malone Jr., working inside and outside, had 27 points for the Bulldogs (2-7), who were outrebounded, 64-30.

No. 5 Florida 73, Charlotte 52--Udonis Haslem gave fans in his hometown plenty to applaud, scoring 22 points to lead the Gators in the Orange Bowl Classic at Miami.

Haslem also grabbed 13 rebounds for the Gators (7-1).

Charlotte (4-4) shot only 27%, missing 40 of 55 attempts, and committed 23 turnovers. The 49ers came within one miss of the worst shooting game in school history.

No. 9 Kentucky 118, Kentucky State 63--Marquis Estill scored 21 points and Tayshaun Prince had 18 at Lexington, Ky., as the Wildcats (6-1) won their sixth consecutive since a season-opening loss to Western Kentucky.

Keith Bogans had 17 points, Gerald Fitch added 12 and Erik Daniels had 10 as Kentucky held a 51-29 rebounding edge against Division II Kentucky State (2-4), which is coached by former Kentucky standout Winston Bennett.

No. 18 Georgetown 87, Norfolk State 68--Kevin Braswell scored 19 points and Mike Sweetney had 17 points and 11 rebounds at Washington as the Hoyas (8-1) won their seventh consecutive game in the first meeting between the schools.

Terrance Winston had 16 points for Norfolk State (3-7), which had won three of four.

No. 20 Ball State 103, Indiana Purdue Indianapolis 81--Patrick Jackson scored 28 points and Chris Williams had 21 at Indianapolis as the Cardinals set a school record with 16 three-point baskets.

Williams also tied a Ball State record with seven three-point baskets, including all four of his attempts in the first half when Ball State (6-2) took control. The Cardinals took a 16-point lead at halftime, built it to 26 in the second half and never were threatened after a late flurry by the Jaguars (3-4).

Miami 58, No. 21 Indiana 53--James Jones had 13 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks and the Hurricanes (9-0) matched their best start in school history in the opener of the Orange Bowl Classic at Miami.

Tom Coverdale had 16 points for Indiana (6-3), which shot a season-low 33%, including one for 15 from three-point range.

Miami shot 33%, including 0 of 13 from three-point range, but won the game at the free-throw line, going 20 of 31, including four of six in the final 25 seconds.

No. 24 Oklahoma 107, High Point 63--Hollis Price scored 26 points and Ebi Ere had 21 as the Sooners (6-1) routed the Panthers (3-6) at Norman, Okla.

Price scored 15 points in the first half and had 10 in a 21-6 run late in the second half that put the game out of reach. Aaron McGhee had 13 points for Oklahoma and Jason Detrick added 12.

No. 25 Gonzaga 67, Washington State 44--Dan Dickau scored 23 points to lead the Bulldogs (9-2) to a victory against the Cougars (4-4) at Spokane, Wash.

Dickau made five of 13 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line as Gonzaga held the Cougars to 29.4% shooting.

OTHER GAMES

Georgia 79, South Alabama 70--Chris Daniels had 21 points and 14 rebounds, both season highs, to lead the Bulldogs (8-1) at over the Jaguars (3-5) at Mobile, Ala.

Georgia will play at Pepperdine on Monday night as Coach Jim Harrick returns to Malibu for the second time since being fired from UCLA five years ago. Harrick coached the Waves from 1979 to ’88

Memphis 71, Tennessee 69--Kelly Wise scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and Dajuan Wagner had 17 as the Tigers (7-3) held off the Volunteers (4-3) at Memphis, Tenn.

Louisville 66, Ohio State 61--Reece Gaines went five of six from the free-throw line in the final 39 seconds and scored 12 points and Ellis Myles had 17 before fouling out as the Cardinals (6-1) hung on against the Buckeyes (6-1) at Louisville, Ky.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 72, Oregon State 68--Brandon Beeson led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Mustangs (5-2), playing their first game at home against a Pac-10 school, held off the Beavers (5-3).

It was Cal Poly’s first victory against a Pac-10 school since a 79-61 victory over Stanford in 1976.

Utah 70, Weber State 59--Britton Johnsen scored 21 points and Nick Jacobson had eight of his 11 in the last six minutes as the Utes (5-3) defeated the Wildcats (6-3) at Ogden, Utah.

Mississippi State 104, Louisiana Monroe 67--Michael Gholar, Timmy Bowers and Winsome Frazier each scored 13 points as the Bulldogs (9-0) continued their best start since 1961-62 with a victory against the Indians (3-4) at Southaven, Miss.

Butler 77, Northern Iowa 65--Rylan Hainje made three free throws and had two steals in the final two minutes as the Bulldogs (9-0) held off the Panthers (6-3) at Indianapolis.