Columbus, Ohio – Graduate forward Joey Hauser scored 22 points as Michigan State held Ohio State to 14 points in the first half en route to a 62-41 win on Sunday afternoon at Value City Arena.

Hauser hit 8-of-13 shots from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3-point land, tying his career-high and setting a Big Ten career-best mark.  He also added eight rebounds, two assists and one block.

Senior guard Tyson Walker added 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals and sophomore guard Jaden Akins finished with eight points and a career-high nine rebounds.

Records
Michigan State improves to 16-9 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten Conference, while Ohio State falls to 11-14 overall and 3-11 in the league.

Recap

• Michigan State led by 13 points at the break, 27-14, but Ohio State out-scored the Spartans 19-7 over a span of 7:32 and pulled to within five points, 38-33, on a jumper from Brice Sensabaugh with 11:24 to play in the game.
• Hasuer hit a 3-pointer with 10:47 left to trigger an 11-2 burst as the Spartans took a 49-35 lead on a driving layup from Akins with 7:03 left, forcing the Buckeyes to call a timeout.
• MSU took its biggest lead, 59-37, on the last of Hauser’s six 3-pointers with 2:47 on the clock.
• Both teams struggled out of the gate, with Michigan State hitting just four of its first 14 field attempts and Ohio State making just two of its first 10.
• Hauser hit back-to-back 3-pointers as MSU turned a 9-6 deficit into a 12-9 lead and used a 12-2 run to take an 18-11 with 6:08 to play in the half on a layup from freshman forward Jaxon Kohler.
• The Spartans scored seven-straight points, with baskets from freshman center Carson Cooper, a layup from Akins and a trey from Hauser, to push the lead to 25-11 with just over a minute to play.
• MSU held Ohio State scoreless for more than seven minutes until a 3-pointer from Roddy Gayle Jr. with five seconds left made it 27-14.

Key Stats

• Michigan State shot 45.8 percent from the floor (27-of-59), including 51.7 percent in the second half (15-of-29).
• The Spartans had a 42-33 advantage in rebounding, grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second-chance points.
• The team connected on 54.1 percent of its 2-point baskets (20-of-37) and scored 26 points in the paint.
• MSU limited Ohio State to just 14 first half points, holding the Buckeyes to 19.2 percent shooting from the floor (5-of-26).
• Michigan State hit 31.8 percent of its 3-point attempts (7-of-22), with Hauser connecting on 6-of-9 himself.

Records

• Michigan State leads the all-time series with Ohio State, 79-61, and has won six of the last nine meetings and 12 of the last 16 overall.
• MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo is 34-18 all-time against the Buckeyes.
• The win was the first at Ohio State since an 86-77 Spartan victory on Jan. 5, 2019.
• This was the first time an MSU team held a Big Ten opponent to fewer than 42 points since a 54-40 win at Northwestern on Jan. 15, 2014.
• It was also the fewest points scored by an opponent since limiting Tennessee Tech to 33 points in a 101-33 win on Nov. 18, 2018 at the Breslin Center.
• This was the ninth time this season MSU held an opponent below 60 points.
• The 21-point margin of victory was the first Big Ten road win by more than 20 points since an 86-65 win at Nebraska on Feb. 20, 2020.
• The Spartans limited Ohio State to 28.3 percent shooting from the floor, the lowest by an opponent this season.
• The Spartans are 4-5 on the road, with three Big Ten Conference road wins.
• Michigan State has a 14-3 record when leading at halftime.
• MSU out-shot Ohio State (45.8% to 28.3%), the 17th time shooting better than its opponent (15-2).
• The Spartans are 12-2 when controlling the boards.
• Joey Hauser scored in double figures for the 21st time this season and the 43rd of his career.
• It was his sixth game this season with at least 20 points and the ninth of his career.
• Hauser also tied his career-high with six 3-pointers made (also vs. Western Michigan, 12/6/20).
• Tyson Walker scored 10 points, his 20th game in double figures and the 66th of his career.
• Jaden Akins grabbed a career-high nine rebounds.

Up Next
Michigan State returns home to host Minnesota on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. the Breslin Center, with Brandon Gaudin and Stephen Bardo calling all of the action on BTN.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS