Michigan State's Cassius Winston responds to Tom Izzo's challenge - Detroit Free Press

Chris Solari Detroit Free Press

Published 7:49 PM EST Jan 5, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The fragility of the moment felt all too familiar to Michigan State basketball. 

Just 363 days earlier, in the same building, against the same opponent, in almost the same way. Ohio State even got a couple banked-in shots to fall Saturday at Value City Arena.

Only this time, the Spartans’ veterans would not let the Buckeyes’ momentum-building run toward the end of the first half run define the outcome.

Contributions came from Kyle Ahrens, who shook off a left ankle injury to throw down a dunk in front of a bevy of family and friends.

And Kenny Goins overcame some mistakes to make critical plays in the final 5 minutes: a block, a couple baskets and an atoning steal to seal No. 8 MSU’s 86-77 victory over 14th-ranked Ohio State.

But MSU was led by Cassius Winston and Nick Ward, beyond their 46 combined points.

It was more about how they did it, responding to coach Tom Izzo’s challenge to lead the others through where they failed a year ago against Ohio State.

Enough for their coach to say: “We won the game because of Nick and Cassius.”

“Last year, especially some key guys, we hadn’t been in that situation before," said Winston, who scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half. "We didn’t have to fight back, we didn’t know how to make winning plays. It’s just things like that where this team just has that experience just carrying us.”

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Ward, who is from nearby Gahanna, Ohio, shined in his homecoming by making 5 of 7 shots for 21 points, adding eight rebounds. The 6-foot-9 forward also drew 11 of Ohio State’s 26 fouls and went 11 of 14 at the free-throw line.

“Last year, we lost at this time to Ohio State,” Ward said. “And then for us to turn around and turn the loss into a W this year was huge. … That’s the difference between last year and this year. This year, we kept the foot on their throats.”

MSU (13-2, 4-0 Big Ten) hosts Purdue on Tuesday at Breslin Center (9 p.m.). The Spartans’ 68-65 home victory on Miles Bridges’ 3-pointer in the waning seconds a year ago proved a pivotal moment for their Big Ten regular-season title.

Izzo is not ready to anoint this year’s version, without Bridges or Jaren Jackson Jr., as surpassing that team. But he sees a high ceiling for this group, especially when Winston and Ward — even with Joshua Langford still out — meet his demands and expectations.

“We’re not a better team than last year, don’t kid yourselves,” Izzo said. “Can we become one? Maybe.”

In their only meeting a year ago, the Buckeyes scored the final 12 points of the first half, including a banked-in 3-pointer, to stagger MSU. Ohio State scored the first seven points of the second half en route to an 80-64 victory.

It was a game Winston said he and his teammates watched before they traveled to Columbus. And they virtually relived it Saturday.

With the two teams trading leads and MSU ahead 31-28 with 3:39 left before halftime, the Buckeyes reclaimed the lead with a 9-0 run. It included Ward forcing a shot and Goins absorbing a no-call elbow on defense and getting whistled for a foul at the other end that led to a Kaleb Wesson three-point play. Then Winston turned the ball over in transition, and Duane Washington Jr. drained a 3-pointer with MSU’s defense discombobulated and forced Izzo to burn a timeout.

“I felt it when they started the run,” Winston said. “I was like, this is almost exactly what happened (last year).”

Ward hit two free throws and Ahrens drained a 3-pointer, but Wesson sent the Buckeyes into the break leading 43-36.

Izzo went back to the locker room and lit up his team, particularly Winston.

“I had no problems with our offense,” Izzo said. “But our defense — we talked a lot this week (about how) defense travels. The problem is when you start shooting 3s and you start scoring 80 points a game, you think you can win it a different way. You don’t win in this league, on the road, without your defense.

“So I was disappointed. I told Cash at halftime. … When you challenge people and those people respond, that’s probably the most satisfying part of my job. And Cassius did an unbelievable job the second half.”

Winston came out with a renewed vigor, attacking the basket for layups in traffic, and using his hesitation dribble to create lanes to drive and distribute. When he drilled a 3-pointer nearing the midpoint of the second half to give MSU a one-point lead after falling behind by nine to start the half, Winston looked at Izzo on the sideline and bobbed his head as he backpedaled down court to play defense.

For the failings of a year ago, the Spartans closed out the Buckeyes on a 15-5 run in the final 4:39, pulling away from OSU like it did to MSU a year ago.

“So down 7, we said, ‘We got all the shots we wanted, we didn’t check how we play defense. So if we do those things, we’re gonna win this game,’ ” Winston said. “And everybody just came to that and we were gonna do that together. Coach challenged us to do it, we knew that we were capable of it.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. 

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