Denzel Valentine-led No. 8 Michigan State Tops Indiana 88-69

By LARRY LAGE/AP Sports Writer

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Denzel Valentine had 30 points and 13 assists, Matt Costello scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and No. 8 Michigan State beat Indiana 88-69 Sunday.

The Spartans (21-5, 8-5 Big Ten) closed the first half with a 9-0 run to take a one-point lead. They had a 24-3 run to go ahead by 17 midway through the second half.

The Hoosiers (20-6, 10-3) fell out of a tie for first place behind No. 4 Iowa, which they beat on the road on Thursday.

Indiana's Yogi Ferrell was limited to nine points, eight below his scoring average and one more than his season low.

Max Bielfeldt scored 10 of his 15 points in the first half, Robert Johnson had 11 points and Thomas Bryant scored 10 for the Hoosiers.

The Spartans have a trio of seniors they are leaning on this year, and each of them helped the team bounce back from a one-point loss in overtime at No. 18 Purdue.

Bryn Forbes had 14 points, giving the team a third double-digit scorer to go along with Valentine and Costello.

Indiana led for 10-plus minutes in the first half and by as many as 10 points before struggling to score for nearly 4 minutes before halftime.

TIP-INS

Indiana: As Ferrell goes, the Hoosiers follow. The Big Ten player of the year candidate could not drive into a defense that usually allows penetration and was 3 of 10 from the field, making only one of his three 3-point shots.

Michigan State: The Spartans got a player back, and lost one. Point guard Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. played 2 minutes in the first half, coming back from a foot injury that has kept him out since Jan. 14. Forward Kenny Goins left the game with an injured left knee in the first half and didn't return.

UP NEXT

Indiana hosts Nebraska on Wednesday.

Michigan State hosts Wisconsin on Thursday.

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