Michigan State University
Minnesota
Spartans Sweep Gophers
2/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State found a way to win, but had to search harder than anyone expected.
The Spartans needed another second-half comeback and a season-high 15 steals for a 69-58 win over struggling Minnesota on Saturday.
 Chris Hill scored a season-high 20 points and collected four assists vs. Minnesota.  | |
"The bottom line is if you're in position to win a championship, you've got to find ways to survive," said Michigan State guard Chris Hill, who had a game-high 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. "You're not going to play your best every night."
The Spartans (13-9, 8-3 Big Ten) played one of their worst first halves and were fortunate to trail Minnesota just 39-31. But when the Golden Gophers' scored just 19 points in the last 20 minutes, Michigan State was able to escape.
"We're in this mode where we have to keep winning," Michigan State's Tom Izzo said after becoming the 17th coach with 100 Big Ten wins. "That's one down and five to go. For that I'm grateful. But it wasn't really a step forward. For that I'm disappointed."
Shannon Brown had 13 points and Maurice Ager added 11 off the bench for the Spartans, who won for the eighth time in their last 10 games and had an easier time than they did in rallying from 23 down in a 79-78 overtime win on Jan. 28 in Minneapolis.
Big Ten scoring and rebounding leader Kris Humphries had 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Golden Gophers (9-14, 1-10). Ben Johnson added 14 points, including his team's only 3-pointer in seven tries.
A 22-7 closing surge was the difference, including five straight points from Ager and all eight of Paul Davis' points.
"We started both halves a little bit tentative, and you have to be more aggressive than Michigan State if you're going to come in here and win," Minnesota coach Dan Monson said.
The Golden Gophers erased a 7-0 deficit with a 15-6 spurt. And with the game tied at 23, they took control with a 10-3 surge late in the first half, shooting 60 percent from the field.
The Spartans were 2-for-12 from 3-point range and had just nine rebounds before halftime. Davis, the Big Ten's No. 5 scorer in league play, didn't have a rebound until 11:29 was left in the game and didn't have a point until an alley-oop dunk with 8:44 to go.
"If we played the second half the way we did the first half, we'd have lost that game," Davis said. "There were really no excuses for us to play the way we did."
Michigan State came out firing after the break and tied it at 45 with help from eight quick points by Hill, who finished 4-for-9 from long range. After Minnesota regained the lead at 51-47, the Spartans scored seven straight points and went ahead to stay.
It took 61 percent shooting from the field for Michigan State to double the Golden Gophers' scoring in the second half. Twenty Minnesota turnovers helped the Spartans overcome a 24-21 rebounding deficit.
