Michigan State Digs Deep Again

Michigan State had been here before -- overtime, away from home, with a game teetering on the brink.

Just like before, the Spartans reached down for a little extra.

Drew Neitzel made a runner and two free throws in the final 44 seconds of the second overtime to lead No. 14 Michigan State to a 62-59 victory over No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday night at Columbus, Ohio.

Even though the game featured two of the Big Ten’s top three offenses, both played physical, hands-on defense.

Paul Davis, who scored 18 points for the Spartans (14-4, 2-2), cemented the lead by making two free throws with 11 seconds left.

The Buckeyes’ Jamar Butler then missed a three-point basket and Matt Sylvester -- who had earlier made two big three-pointers to pull his team back -- failed on a short follow in the final seconds.

“Even the officials looked at me before the game and said this is special,” Spartan Coach Tom Izzo said. “It was a big win.”

The victory gave the Spartans a split in a grueling conference start against four ranked teams -- three on the road. They lost at Illinois and Wisconsin and beat Indiana at home.

“They’ve been in a lot of games like that,” Sylvester said. “They’re very tough mentally and physically. I think it reflects on the character of Tom Izzo.”

Shannon Brown led Michigan State, which has won in its last four trips to Columbus, with 20 points. Maurice Ager, averaging 21 points a game, mustered only two on one-for-11 shooting.

Terence Dials led Ohio State (12-2, 2-2) with 19 points and 10 rebounds, with Sylvester scoring 17 points on four-for-six shooting beyond the arc.

The Buckeyes’ losses have come by two and three points to ranked teams.

No. 12 Pittsburgh 61, No. 10 Louisville 57 -- Freshman reserve guard Levance Fields scored 13 points, and the Panthers (14-0, 3-0 Big East) defeated the Cardinals (13-3, 1-2) at Louisville, Ky.

Aaron Gray’s two free throws with two seconds left followed three missed three-pointers by the Cardinals, who fell to 0-3 against ranked teams.

Gray finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Panthers.

Terrence Williams led Louisville with 25 points. Guard Taquan Dean played only 12 minutes because he aggravated an ankle injury.

No. 23 Maryland 90, Wake Forest 86 -- Mike Jones scored 22 points, D.J. Strawberry had a career-high 18 and the Terrapins (12-4, 2-2) kept the Demon Deacons (11-5, 0-3) winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference at College Park, Md.

Justin Gray scored a career-high 38 points for Wake Forest, which cut a 17-point deficit to two with 2.9 seconds left. Strawberry then clinched it with two free throws.