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Michigan State holds off Bowling Green

Dec 18, 2011 - 9:07 AM East Lansing, MI (Sports Network) - Brandon Wood scored 16 points, while Derrick Nix recorded 14 points and seven rebounds as No. 21 Michigan State overcame a sluggish first half to down Bowling Green, 74-60.

Draymond Green had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards for the Spartans (9-2), who have won nine straight games.

Jehvon Clarke scored 14 points for Bowling Green (5-5), which has lost three of four.

With Bowling Green down just 35-33 at the half, A'uston Calhoun made a layup to tie the score early in the second half, but the Spartans responded with an 11-0 run to take a 46-35 lead. Branden Dawson had six points during the spurt.

Michigan State then took its largest lead, 66-49, after a Green layup with seven minutes to go. The Falcons, though, responded with a 9-2 run to make it a 10-point game, 68-58, with 4:47 left.

But the Falcons couldn't muster another rally and the Spartans hung on for the win.

"This was one of those games where the ball wasn't really dropping for us," Bowling Green head coach Louis Orr said.

Bowling Green jumped out to an early 13-10 lead, but the Spartans responded with a 7-0 spurt capped by a Payne jumper to give Michigan State a 17-13 advantage with 11:11 to go in the opening half.

It was a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the stanza and Nix converted a pair from the line with two seconds to go in the half to give the Spartans a 35-33 lead after the opening 20 minutes.

Game Notes

Dawson finished with 13 points and four rebounds...Calhoun scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds...Bowling Green hit on just 4-of-16 from three- point range and shot 37.5 percent from the field.