Spartans Can't Complete Comeback, Lose 79-77 To Huskers

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Terran Petteway scored a season-high 32 points, Shavon Shields added 21 and short-handed Nebraska held off Michigan State 79-77 on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (12-7, 4-3 Big Ten) won for the fourth time in five games. The Spartans (13-7, 4-3) lost for the second time in three games.

The Huskers were without two starting big men. Forward David Rivers sat out after spraining his left knee in practice Thursday, and Walter Pitchford was ejected for throwing a high elbow at a Spartan away from the ball less than four minutes into the game.

MSU's Travis Trice scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half, and Denzel Valentine finished with 21. Branden Dawson tied a career-high with 18 rebounds to go with his eight points.

Michigan State held a 48-26 rebounding advantage, including an incredible 24-5 on the offensive end. But the Spartans shot 36 percent in the first half, 41 percent for the game and committed 16 turnovers.

Nebraska led by 14 points at half and by 17 with 16:41 left, but the Spartans weren't finished. Trice converted a four-point play and Dawson dunked to pull them within 74-70 with 53 seconds to play.

Shields and Tarin Smith made two free throws apiece to extend the lead, but Michigan State still had a chance after Petteway missed twice from the line.

Trice's three-point play with 12.6 seconds left made it 78-75, and after Petteway missed the second of two free throws, Trice drove for a layup to cut it to 79-77 with 2.2 seconds left.

Shields' long inbound pass was intercepted but the Spartans couldn't get off a good shot.

It looked like Nebraska would have no trouble putting away the Spartans even without Rivers and Pitchford. They went on an 11-2 run to make it a 15-point game with seven minutes left, and the Huskers still led by 10 with 2:30 left.

Nebraska broke things open in the first half when Petteway beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer, snared Trice's missed shot on the other end and raced the ball up court for a quick 3 off the dribble. Tai Webster's 3-pointer and Leslee Smith's layup finished the run that put Nebraska up 35-20, and the Huskers led 39-25 at half.

TIP-INS

Michigan State: The Spartans were making their first visit to Pinnacle Bank Arena, which opened last year.

Nebraska: Walter Pitchford's ejection came after he was assessed a technical for knocking down a Minnesota player during a dead ball last Tuesday. Pitchford also got a 'T' on Jan. 8 against Rutgers. Because Saturday's infraction was a flagrant-2, Pitchford will be out of this Tuesday's game at Michigan. ... Leslee Smith got his first start of the season in place of David Rivers.

UP NEXT

Michigan State travels to Rutgers on Tuesday.

Nebraska faces Michigan in Ann Arbor on Tuesday.

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