No. 5 Michigan State beats Indiana 73-56
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Gary Harris scored 26 points and No. 5 Michigan State beat Indiana 73-56 on Saturday.
Harris had 17 points in the first half for the Spartans (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) and he had a 5-point play midway through the second half.
Michigan State turned 13 Indiana turnovers into 20 points, capitalizing on a problem that has plagued the Hoosiers (10-5, 0-2) all season. They are averaging 16.4 turnovers a game, more than anyone else in the conference.
Branden Dawson added 13 points for the Spartans.
Yogi Ferrell led Indiana with 14 points while Will Sheehey added 13.
After falling behind by as many as 15 points early in the second half the Hoosiers made a run, clamping down on Harris and finding points from someone other than Ferrell.
Sheehey buried a 3-pointer with 8:54 left in the game to close the gap to 50-41, turning and sprinting back down court as he the shot went through and the crowd erupted.
But at the other end of the court Indiana couldn’t come up with a rebound off a series of Spartan misses, finally watching Harris come back to life for what would become a 5-point play.
Harris hit a 3-pointer and drew a foul from Stanford Robinson. And as Harris pumped his first in front of the celebrating Spartans bench, Robinson was hit with a technical foul.
Harris made two of the three free throws and the Spartans were up 55-41.
Michigan State opened the second half with a 7-1 run. Dawson ended it, breaking down court off a Hoosiers turnover for a basket that put the Spartans up 40-25 with 17:36 left in the game.
Without Ferrell’s 10 first-half points, the Hoosiers might have been all but out of the game by halftime.
Michigan State turned Indiana’s eight turnovers into 13 first-half points and a 33-24 lead.
The Hoosiers had no answer for Harris, not even Ferrell.
Harris had 17 points by the half, including a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left that he hit over Ferrell, who fell as scrambled to get to him and was sprawled on the court at his feet.
Indiana went up 9-5 in the opening 4 minutes on a 3-pointer by Ferrell.
But the Spartans shut down the Hoosier momentum in a hurry, going on a 10-0 run that was capped by a layup and free throw from Harris with 11:35 left.
Michigan State is 7-0 on the road this season but plays its next two game, against No. 3 Ohio State on Tuesday and Minnesota on Jan. 11, at home.
The Hoosiers will try for their first Big Ten win at Penn State on Jan. 11.