Michigan State University
Iowa
Men's Hoops Hammers Iowa, 93-79
3/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Marcus Taylor scored a career-high 34 points and had nine assists to lead Michigan State to a 93-79 victory Saturday over Iowa in both teams' conference-season finale.
Michigan State's Kelvin Torbert had 11 points, all in the first half. He fell hard in the opening minute of the second half and did not return because of a bruised back.
Adam Ballinger added 13 for the Spartans (19-10, 10-6 Big Ten), who have won their last five conference games while teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Michigan State scored a season-high 93 points, clinching at least a share of second-place in the conference and at least a No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday.
Luke Recker scored 20 points and Reggie Evans added 13 off the bench for Iowa (16-14, 5-11), which has lost six of its last seven Big Ten games.
Taylor, who broke a career-high with 32 points against Ohio State last Tuesday, hit 10 of 18 shots, including 9 of 12 from the line and had just two turnovers.
The Spartans led 49-38 at halftime, but the Hawkeyes battled back in the second half with three consecutive 3-pointers at one point to slim the Spartans' lead to 65-63 with 10:07 left in the game. But Michigan State went on a 11-2 run, in which Taylor scored five and Ballinger six, to take a 76-65 lead with 6:39 remaining. Iowa got no closer than within eight the rest of the game.
