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Happy Valentine's Day: Spartans top Buckeyes on late 3

Feb 14, 2015 - 10:18 PM East Lansing, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Denzel Valentine nailed a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining to lift Michigan State to a 59-56 victory over No. 23 Ohio State on Saturday at the Breslin Center.

Valentine finished with 17 points and came up with a game-ending steal after Shannon Scott mishandled the inbounds pass.

Michigan State's Branden Dawson scored 15 points and snagged a game-high 11 rebounds for his 20th career double-double. He added a career-high five blocks and also had four assists.

Travis Trice and Matt Costello each had nine points for the Spartans (17-8, 8-4 Big Ten), who have won four of their last five games.

Scott led Ohio State (19-7, 8-5) with 15 points. D'Angelo Russell, Jae'Sean Tate and Sam Thompson scored 10 points apiece for a Buckeyes team that was vying for a third straight win.

"I thought we had them right where we wanted them in terms of how the action developed, and (Valentine) shoots off the back foot and it goes in," said Ohio State coach Thad Matta.

Russell, who entered the game averaging a Big Ten-best 21.3 points in conference play, hit a jumper to put Ohio State up 51-49 with 4:23 remaining.

Valentine answered with a three from the top of the key, and two Dawson free throws made it 54-51 with 3:18 left. Amir Williams then made a jump hook for Ohio State before Trice drove the lane for a layup with his right hand.

After Thompson tied it with a trey, Valentine buried his fifth 3-pointer from the right wing off a Lourawls Nairn Jr. pass.

"When Dawson had the free throws I told him he's going to make them because that's what seniors do," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "I told Trice he's got to make a play. And then we went to Valentine at the end. The three best players come through."

The Buckeyes led by five midway through the first half, but they went the final six-plus minutes without making a field goal.

Michigan State ended the frame on a 15-2 run for a 33-24 halftime lead.

Game Notes

Seven of the last eight meetings between these teams have been decided by four points or fewer ... Izzo moved past Purdue's Ward Lambert for sole possession of third place on the career Big Ten victories list with 229 ... Valentine has hit at least four 3-pointers in each of his last four games ... Russell shot 4-of-13 from the floor.