COLUMBUS, Ohio — Winning ugly is better than losing pretty, Tom Izzo said earlier this week.
Michigan State basketball provided a little of both on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon outside, with some brutal stretches against Ohio State and some big runs to pull away to a harder-than-it-seemed 62-41 victory.
Joey Hauser scored 22 points with eight rebounds and made six of nine 3-point attempts, Tyson Walker scored 10 points and Jaden Akins had a career-high nine rebounds and added eight points. The Spartans closed the game on a 24-8 run over the final 11:24, and their defense held the Buckeyes to 20.