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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State went to the Final Four last
year not apologizing for the fact it was carried on the broad
shoulders of Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd.
Maybe now the Buckeyes can go even further.
George Reese scored 19 points in a reserve role as Ohio State (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) knocked off No. 10 Michigan State 78-67 Thursday night, ending the Spartans' Big Ten winning streak at 21 games.
|  | | Ohio State's Scoonie Penn rips down a rebound as Michigan State's Brandon Smith keeps his distance. |
"They're not a two-man team anymore," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "I think Reese is one of the best sixth men in the
country."
Michigan State (12-5, 3-1) had not lost in the conference since the Big Ten opener a year ago, winning its last 15 regular-season
games and the conference tournament. The streak was the
fourth-longest in Big Ten history.
"This is supposed to be the top conference in the country the
last couple of years and for those guys to win 21 games in a row is
a tremendous accomplishment," Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien said.
"You kept thinking that sooner or later they had to lose a game.
It might as well be tonight."
Izzo said, "The streak maybe was good for a lot of talk in the
media, or for the history books someday. But it really doesn't mean
a lot more."
Five teams now have one loss in the wide-open Big Ten -- and two more are just a game back.
The victory was a sweet payback for Ohio State (12-3, 4-1),
which lost its only meeting with the Spartans last year in East
Lansing. The teams didn't meet again through the conference
tournament or as each went to the Final Four.
"It was a game they had to win and they played that way," Izzo said.
Michigan State had won a school-record eight in a row on the road in the Big Ten and had beaten Ohio State in the last 10
meetings.
"It just doesn't get a whole lot better than this," O'Brien
said. "We really toughed it out. We were very good defensively.
All these things make it a real, real special night for us."
Reese, a starter earlier in the year who has been transformed into a sixth man, hit 8-of-13 shots from the field and became the Buckeyes' go-to man on offense.
"Everyone talked about the Scoonie-Mateen and Peterson-Redd matchups," Reese said. "But we kind of thought our guys off the
bench would make a difference. We were so prepared. We knew we had to win tonight."
Penn added 16 points, Redd and Brian Brown each had 14 and Ken Johnson, the nation's leading shot-blocker coming in, was a factor in the middle with four blocks and eight points.
Morris Peterson scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds, Andre Hutson had 14 points, A.J. Granger 11 and Mateen Cleaves 10 for Michigan State. Charlie Bell, the Spartans' No. 2 scorer at 12.8 a
game, got his only basket with 3:24 left and finished with six points.
Reese's free throw with 12:06 left in the half broke a 15-15 tie and Ohio State led thereafter, building margins to 13 points in the
second half.
Michigan State got as close as 71-65 with 2:11 left after a 6-0 run, capped by Cleaves' free throw.
Redd scored in the lane with 1:55 left and, after Cleaves missed a jumper, Johnson hit two foul shots for a 75-65 lead.
"We couldn't stop anybody at the other end at times," Izzo
said. "It was one of those games that we were in it the whole way
-- but not in the game at all, if that makes sense. We were never a
threat to be ahead."
Michigan State, which led the nation with a plus-12 rebounding margin, outrebounded Ohio State only 34-31.
"We've got to get rid of the pretty-boy attitude and get into
the meat-and-potatoes attitude again," Izzo said.
The Spartans, averaging 17 turnovers a game, had 11 at halftime and finished with 18 to Ohio State's nine.
"This proves we will be a contender," Penn said. "Michigan
State has been on a pedestal, but this proves we aren't a fluke."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Michigan State Clubhouse
Ohio State Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Scoonie Penn soars in for the fast-break bucket.
avi: 1168 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Andre Hutson shows off the power move in the paint.
avi: 549 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Ken Johnson slams down the missed shot.
avi: 909 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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