| Detroit Free Press
EAST LAUNCH – It was another dynamic defense show as the state of Michigan basketball built a large lead on Purdue.
Then the Spartans’ shots stopped falling. Their 17-point lead early in the second half disappeared.
And so does the victory.
MSU’s defense has collapsed, especially against Trevion Williams. The Boilermakers’ big man scored eight of their last 10 points in the final 3:19 and hit a hook with 4.5 seconds over what gave Purdue a stunning 55-54 victory Friday night at Breslin Center.
Aaron Henry, whose three points in the last minute gave MSU a four-point lead, missed a management effort when the time was up. The Boilermakers (8-5, 3-3 Big Ten) celebrated in midfield with the Spartans (8-4, 2-4) retreating in confusion to their locker room.
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Williams, a 6-foot-ten junior who played at Detroit Henry Ford Academy, scored a 26-point game at 9-for-14, making eight of 12 on the line and hitting nine rebounds. He was the only Purdue player to score in double figures as the Boilermakers won 3-for-24 shots from 3-point range and 33.9% for the match.
Henry scored 13 points, making three of his eight shots, with seven rebounds. The Spartans shot 22.2% after building a 31-16 halftime lead, turning the ball around 10 times in the second half. Joshua Langford added 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
MSU is off until it travels to Iowa 7 on Thursday (21:00, FS1).
The Spartans’ defense shone again to open the game, keeping the Boilermakers at 16 points and 26.1% to build a 15-point halftime cushion. MSU kept Purdue without a 3-point basket in 12 attempts from the first half.
The Boilermakers made 37.9% from behind the arc. In the first four Big Ten games of the Spartans, the opponents scored 39.3% of their three-point series against their defense before beating Rutgers to 3-for-12 from deep and 30.5% in Tuesday’s victory with 68-45.
The Spartans scored overall performances with eight of the 12 players playing points. MSU made 52.2% of its shots in the half and opened the second with a Langford jumper to stretch an 11-0 run over the half.
Purdue tipped with seven consecutive scores, including his first three-pointer from Aaron Wheeler’s game. But the Spartans stretched it back to 12 in a dunk from Julius Marble to a rowing pass from Henry.
That basket was important because it would be the last MSU made for 12:01 off the field. During that time, the Boilermakers got off to a 19-12 lead – all of the Spartans’ points came at the release line in a physical final period.
After Purdue tied it at 43 on Brandon Newman’s lineup with 6:20 to play, a free throw and then a 3-point lead from Joey Hauser with 3:42, MSU led by five.
The Boilermakers got it back in a one-point game on some Williams throws with 1:21 left.
Henry responded by cutting into the lane and hitting his jumper, before stealing and making a 19.1-second foul, making it 1 of 2 to give MSU a 54-50 lead.
But Watts overcame Hunter by 11.9 seconds, and was then hit on the ground for a turnover of 11.6 to play at the ensuing incoming pace near Purdue’s basket.
MSU put Williams, who made one of his two free kicks, by 9.8 seconds. But a flyhalf between Hauser and Hunter left the ball with the Boilermakers due to the possession arrow. Matt Painter called a timeout with 6.4 seconds left, and the incoming pass went to Williams for the game-winner in the position over Hauser.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more about the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.