Michigan State basketball’s run in the Big Ten Tournament came to an end on Saturday.
The Spartans fell to Purdue in Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinals matchup, 75-70. Michigan State trailed for most of the game, but never stopped fighting with the Boilermakers finishing off the Spartans in the final minutes.
Michigan State trailed 27-20 at halftime after a poor shooting effort in the opening frame. It appeared the Spartans were feeling the effects of three games in three days, which resulted in the offensive struggles. Additionally, Michigan State lost Tyson Walker to an ankle injury in the first few minutes that led to him missing the remainder of the game.
The second half didn’t start off great for Michigan State either, who fell behind by as many as 13 points in the half. However, the Spartans were able to battle back and cut Purdue’s lead to just one point with 5:45 to go in the game. From there, the Boilermakers took over with a 9-0 run to build a comfortable lead they’d never surrender.
Michigan State was led offensively by AJ Hoggard , with 17 points and 10 assists. Gabe Brown also had a strong offensive outing with 16 points.
With a pair of wins in the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State is a lock to be heading to the NCAA Tournament next weekend. The Spartans will find out their seeding and first round matchup on Sunday.
