Ohio State Vs Mi State: Cooper’s Career-High 20 Lifts No. 15 Michigan State to 66-60 Win
No. 15 Michigan State beat Ohio State 66-60 on Sunday, a result that sharpened the Spartans' place in the Big Ten race and intensified questions about the Buckeyes' tournament résumé. Ohio State Vs Mi State mattered in part because the outcome left Ohio State 0-9 against Quadrant 1 teams, a statistic that may harm their NCAA Tournament chances next month.
Carson Cooper's career-high 20 points
Carson Cooper scored a career-high 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the victory, finishing with the kind of two-way output that decided a low-scoring game. Cooper also closed the contest at the free-throw line: after Jordan Scott made one of two free throws with 9. 8 seconds remaining, Cooper followed with two free throws to seal the win for Michigan State.
Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jaxon Kohler contributions
Jeremy Fears Jr. added 11 points and eight assists for the Spartans, who improved to 22-5 overall and 12-4 in Big Ten play. Jaxon Kohler contributed nine points and a 10-rebound double-double despite battling foul trouble. Michigan State has won three of four and moved into a third-place tie in the conference with No. 9 Nebraska and No. 7 Purdue.
Bruce Thornton, Christoph Tilly and Ohio State offense
Ohio State fell to 17-10 and 9-7 in conference play. Bruce Thornton scored 32 points in the matchup, shooting 12 of 22, while Christoph Tilly scored 10 points and missed only one shot. The rest of Ohio State combined to make 11 of 30 shots. Earlier in the week, Thornton scored 27 points when the Buckeyes beat No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69 for the program's first win over an Top 25 team this season. Thornton, the senior point guard, moved past Herb Williams on Ohio State's career scoring list and now trails only Dennis Hopson's school-record 2, 096 points.
Quadrant 1 record and NCAA Tournament implications
Ohio State's loss extended a 0-9 mark against Quadrant 1 opponents, a measurable deficit the team cannot ignore as the season reaches its final weeks. Playing without the ill Devin Royal and the injured John Mobley left Ohio State short of the 29 points per game the absent players account for, and that shortfall contributed directly to the Buckeyes' offensive struggles. What makes this notable is how the missing production translated into strategic pressure late: Michigan State held a double-digit lead with 1: 35 left before Ohio State mounted a seven-point run to cut the margin to three.
Ohio State Vs Mi State closing sequence
The closing sequence illustrated the game's fine margins. Michigan State led by 10 with 1: 35 remaining, Ohio State responded with seven straight points, and Jordan Scott's 12 points included a pressured free-throw attempt with 9. 8 seconds left. Cooper's two free throws following Scott's miss completed the final sequence and preserved the six-point victory for the Spartans.
Game context and ancillary notes
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Looking ahead, Ohio State visits Iowa on Wednesday, and Michigan State travels to No. 7 Purdue on Thursday. The Spartans' win moved them higher in the Big Ten logjam, while the Buckeyes must address both availability and efficiency if they are to reverse a damaging Quadrant 1 trend before tournament brackets are finalized next month.
