MSU's title hopes dealt lethal blow

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - A victory over Illinois on Wednesday gave Michigan State a 19-2 record, the best start in the program's history.

Three days later, MSU became a Big Ten championship long shot, in embarrassing fashion.

The No. 8 Spartans fell 85-76 Saturday to formerly down-and-out Penn State, in front of 11,159 announced fans at Bryce Jordan Center - many of whom rushed the floor to celebrate the mammoth upset afterward.

MSU falls to 19-3 overall, 7-2 in the Big Ten, just a game behind first-place Purdue. But this was a damaging defeat in MSU's quest for its first league title since 2001, considering this team that already has a loss at Iowa.

The Spartans have the toughest second-half schedule among the contenders, with trips to Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio State. And if they can't beat the Hawkeyes and the Nittany Lions on the road, what are their chances against the big boys?

"No idea, nor do I care to be honest with you," MSU coach Tom Izzo said of the effect of the loss on the Big Ten race.

"When you lose at Penn State and Iowa," Izzo said, "you've got to look at the coaching staff and figure we didn't get our guys ready to play."

Iowa was an offensive abomination. This game was lost on the defensive end. MSU gave up 48.8 percent shooting, nine 3-pointers and sent the Nittany Lions to the foul line 51 times.

Penn State's quick first-year guards, Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle, "tore our guards apart," Izzo said. Pringle scored 19 and Battle 17. Big man Jamelle Cornley added 15 and helped the Nittany Lions battle to a 31-31 draw on the boards.

"We had great scouting reports on their players from our coaches, but we came out and didn't execute," MSU junior guard Travis Walton said. "This is a test of us right now and if we're gonna stick together."

MSU came back from 10 down early in the second to lead several times late in the game, but could not hold on. The Spartans got within a basket, 76-74, after Kalin Lucas found Goran Suton for a layup, plus the foul, with 1:42 left.

But after two Penn State free throws, Walton missed a wild drive to the basket, and the Spartans would get no closer.

Penn State (11-10, 3-6) halts a six-game losing streak, five of which came after losing star Gearly Claxton to a season-ending knee injury. The Nittany Lions figured to be easy fodder for the Spartans.

Instead, the MSU defense struggled, particularly the freshmen. And so did senior guard Drew Neitzel, who averaged 18 points a game in his previous four outings.

Neitzel scored just six points, making 2 of 10 shots. He gave MSU a 69-67 lead with a 3-pointer with 5:13 to play, but that would be his last basket and the Spartans' last lead.

"I just kept on shooting and they wouldn't go down," Neitzel said. "It's a little frustrating, but I've got to find a way to get them in there."

Penn State evened the game at the foul line. Then took the lead at the line. Then kept adding to it at the line.

The Nittany Lions, who came in 10th in the Big Ten at 59.7 percent on free throws, finished 34 of 51 (66.7 percent) and made 16 of 19 in the final 3:56 to secure victory.

They won despite not scoring a basket in the final 7:11.

Izzo said he was unhappy with the officiating, but added that "it's hard to complain about anything (else) with the job I did coaching, because that team of ours was not ready to play from the opening seconds."

Raymar Morgan fouled out with 11 points for MSU and earned the only individual praise from Izzo. Suton also fouled out, with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Lucas led the Spartans with 18 points and seven assists, but Izzo was displeased with his defense on Penn State's guards, saying "in basketball, you have to play both sides of the floor."

Penn State, meanwhile, threw MSU a curveball by playing more man-to-man than zone. The Nittany Lions earned their way to a huge victory for embattled coach Ed DeChellis.

"When I get home there will be a lot of blame for Michigan State," Izzo said, "but the credit should go to Penn State and how they played. That was a monumental effort by a team that's been beaten down and beaten up by a lot of people."

The Spartans - and their championship hopes - received the beating Saturday.

"It definitely doesn't help," Neitzel said. "We kind of shot ourselves in the foot once, and now we did it again."

Contact Joe Rexrode at jrexrode@lsj.com.