Malik Hall had 18 points and six rebounds, and No. 17 Michigan State ended a two-game slide by pulling away from Indiana 76-61 in Big Ten play at East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday afternoon.
Tyson Walker tossed in 15 points and A.J. Hoggard supplied 14 points and eight assists for the Spartans (18-6, 9-4 Big Ten), who lost to Rutgers and Wisconsin in their previous two games. Hoggard was ejected with four minutes remaining after picking up two technicals, including a taunting infraction.
Julius Marble added six points and nine rebounds as Michigan State’s bench outscored Indiana’s reserves 44-20.
Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 17 points for the Hoosiers (16-8, 7-7). Race Thompson had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Tamar Bates also scored 13 for Indiana, which has lost three straight. The Hoosiers shot 33.9 percent from the field and were 5 of 21 from 3-point range.
The Spartans led 37-30 at halftime. Hoggard led the way with 11 points and Hall tossed in nine. Jackson-Davis topped the Hoosiers with eight points.
Michigan State led 25-15 with 6:42 left in the half after a 7-0 spurt that included four Hoggard free throws. Indiana tied it with a 12-2 run, including two baskets by Bates. The Spartans finished the half on an 8-1 run with Hall contributing five points.
The Hoosiers scored the first eight points of the second half, including four from Thompson, to take a 38-37 lead.
The margin was two points or less until Hall converted an alley-oop dunk off a Gabe Brown feed to give Michigan State a 45-41 lead.
Walker hit a 3-pointer, then made a steal and layup to give the Spartans a 54-44 lead. A pair of Bates free throws with 9:30 left completed a 7-0 Indiana spurt to cut Michigan State’s advantage to three.
That was answered by an 8-0 Spartans’ run. Hall scored the last four points, including an over-the-backboard putback to make it 62-51.
Walker made a 3-pointer with 3:23 left for a 71-57 Spartans’ lead.
–Field Level Media
