EAST LANSING, Mich. | Now, suddenly, the Big Ten is a mess.
Purdue (20-3, 8-3) defeated suddenly listless Michigan State (19-6, 9-3) in East Lansing on Tuesday night, combining with Illinois' upset win at Wisconsin to create a five-team pileup at the top of the Big Ten standings -- all five are within one game of first place.
The No. 6 Boilermakers, now winners of six consecutive games, certainly staked their claim as the conference's best, defeating No. 10 Michigan State 76-64 inside a raucous Breslin Center. E.C. Central graduate E'Twaun Moore scored 25 points, including 14 in the first half, and Valparaiso High School grad Robbie Hummel added 15, pacing Purdue to a crucial road win.
"We thought, to beat Michigan State, you've got to put yourself in position to beat them," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "And we were able to do that."
Michigan State cut a 14-point halftime lead to just three by the final media timeout, sending its famous home fans into raptures. But the Spartans failed to put together another productive offensive possession for nearly two minutes, and Purdue pulled away with the win.
"You knew they were going to make a run," Painter said. "They did a great job of using that momentum and driving the basketball. ... If E'Twaun didn't make a couple of huge plays there, we were stuck with foul trouble."
The game was tight and exciting early, with each side trading 3-pointers. The Spartans also got a lift when reigning Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas returned from a right ankle injury, checking in with 14:25 left in the first half. Lucas' ankle did not appear too bothersome, as the talented floor leader scored six in the first half and finished the game with 12 overall.
Where the Spartans had fewer answers was down low.
A 10-10 tie in points in the paint at halftime was deceiving, as Michigan State's post players finished with just nine combined between five players, and starters Delvon Roe and Raymar Morgan had just two points together.
By comparison, Hummel and JaJuan Johnson finished the first half with a combined 22 points, with Johnson accounting for 13 of them.
Michigan State slowed Johnson down early in the second half, but the Purdue big man still finished with 19 points and seven rebounds.
The Spartans fought back into the game down the stretch, but also left of points at the rim with missed open jumpers and dunks. Even when the defense tightened in the second half, Michigan State simply could not string together stops and scores in the right order to make a complete comeback against Purdue.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
No. 6 Purdue 76, No. 10 Michigan State 64
E.C. Central graduate E'Twaun Moore scored 25 points for the Boilermakers.
