Michigan State came in dropping its last three-of-four games and also having lost each of its last three matchups versus the Iowa Hawkeyes, who entered the contest leading Big Ten with 81.7 points per game. The Spartans shook off an abysmal start (0-of-9) from the field, resorting to long twos and squandering opportunities when they were able to get inside looks, to pull out a two-point victory at the Breslin Center, defeating the Hawkeyes 63-61 Thursday night.
Tyson Walker stopped the bleeding just under five minutes in, draining a 3-pointer to bring it to 10-3 Iowa and get Michigan State on the board finally. A couple turnaround jumpers for MSU followed, including one from a source it had been missing as Malik Hall turned around with confidence at the free throw line to bring it within four.
Hall, in his return after exiting the game against Illinois late, added a crucial driving layup to bring it within three, trailing 23-20. After Walker failed to tie the game at the free throw line after finishing a jumper through contact, Hall came flying down the lane in transition to give MSU its first lead. An emphatic slam over Iowa's Filip Rebraca put MSU ahead, the 24-23 lead the Spartans' first and with under five minutes left in the opening half.
Missed free throws have become a theme for this Michigan State team that started the season on pace poised to become one of MSU head coach Tom Izzo’s best free throw shooting teams. The Spartans shot 7-of-12 from the line, with one of those misses coming with a chance to seal the contest with 20 seconds remaining, as A.J. Hoggard missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Payton Sandfort missed two desperation attempts from 3-point range for the win, allowing MSU to escape with the narrow victory.
Ahron Ulis blew by the Spartans' defense following Hall's dunk on Rebraca and assisted Murray to take the lead back for the Hawkeyes. Ulis finished finished 8-of-10 with a game-high 17 points, seemingly providing an answer whenever Iowa needed it.
Jaden Akins, who led Michigan State's scoring with 12, pulled up from the elbow to reclaim the lead, but Hoggard gave it right back on a failed alley-oop entry pass as Murray took it down for an uncontested dunk. MSU held Murray in check, for the most part, (11 points for the game) after he came in averaging over 21 points per contest. The Iowa star was able get free on more than one occasion for eight points in the first half, leading all scoring to that point along with Rebraca. Despite the Hawkeyes' duo, the Spartans snuck away with a 30-29 lead after 20 minutes.
Murray cleaned up the glass to reclaim the lead at the outset of the second half. The game saw the lead switch hands 13 times. Ulis made his first three attempts in the latter 20 and remained the apparent challenge for MSU's defense. Joey Hauser provided a crucial response for MSU with two consecutive 3-pointers to go ahead, 51-49, but Iowa answered with two consecutive buckets.
Walker channeled his end-of-game form again in this one, stepping back from deep to bring the Spartans ahead, 59-58 with just under five minutes remaining. Ulis missed the front end of a one-and-one at 59-all, and Walker pulled up again from long range, this time on a very long two, for the lead. Akins did the same on the next possession on what seemed like a broken play for MSU's largest lead, 63-59, inside a minute left.
Connor McCaffery wouldn't let Iowa fade away, as he converted on a tough finish to bring it back within two, but Iowa couldn't get the last one to fall.
Michigan State will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana attempting to take on the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers in an effort to avenge its home loss. Tipoff on Sunday, Jan. 29 is set at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
