Indiana 63 Michigan State 62: Three Keys | Final Box Score | Specialty Stats

The Indiana Hoosiers upset the No. 6 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington.

Indiana (15-14, 6-12) travels to Illinois on Thursday night.

Stay tuned for our compete post-game wrap up with the Report Card.

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Late defensive stops key the win. Give the game ball to Rob Phinisee. His on the ball defense on first team All American level point guard Cassius Winston on the game’s last two possessions was off the charts. Phinisee defended like a senior and refused to let Winston get to the rim. Indiana held Michigan State scoreless from the field for the last 4:13. They trailed 62-56 at the time and needed every remaining stop to edge out the win.

2. Smith and Green lead the way. No two players on this team have been the subject of more criticism than Devonte Green and Justin Smith. Indiana doesn’t win this game without both of the them. Combined, Indiana got 37 of their 63 points from them as the duo led the team in scoring. For Smith, it was a career high 24 points as he took major strides after being effectively benched in the second half against Iowa. Much like the first meeting against the Spartans, Green hit several timely shots to keep Indiana within striking distance.

3. IU wins the rebound and turnover margins. For the third game in a row against Michigan State, Indiana dominated the offensive glass. While the Hoosiers accumulated 15 offensive rebounds for the game, they held MSU to just one in the second half. The Spartans don’t force a lot of turnovers, but IU only committed 8 on the game, and that provided Indiana just enough possessions on what was another poor shooting day.