An exhilarating escape

EAST LANSING - Of all the things about Michigan State that Purdue feared entering Tuesday's game, Travis Walton's jump shot would have to be pretty low on the list.

Actually, there's no way it would make the list. But two Walton jump shots with the shot clock racing to zero made the difference in MSU's late-night, 78-75 escape at Breslin Center.

The first - and Walton's first of the night - missed but was rebounded by Goran Suton, who was fouled and hit one free throw for a 74-73 lead with 1:08 left.

The second hit all net with 17 seconds left, pushing the lead to three, blowing the top off Breslin and allowing the No. 6 Spartans (14-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) to secure their second straight closer-than-anticipated league triumph.

"I just didn't think about it, and I just shot it," Walton said of his baseline swish, which came after Raymar Morgan was double-teamed and had to flip it to Walton.

"You've got to give Walton credit," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "I like him, he plays a good role. Guys like Travis Walton help you win games."

After Walton's basket, he rebounded a Purdue airball and was fouled with 4.9 seconds left. Walton made both foul shots to ice the Spartans' 11th straight win.

That his team found a way to pull this one out must have pleased MSU coach Tom Izzo on some level, but he wasn't terribly excited about his team's overall performance.

He called this "an eyeful" of why he has been displeased with the team of late. He said Purdue "punched us in the mouth, and we didn't respond very well," and that the Spartans "seem a little cocky."

"Players play, tough players win," Izzo said, reciting his program's foremost motto. "The toughest players lost by a couple tonight. It wasn't us."

Three days after holding on to beat Minnesota 65-59, MSU wilted at times under the offensive and defensive pressure of Purdue (10-5, 1-1). The Spartans raced to a 16-point lead, 25-9, in the first 12 minutes and appeared on their way to a rout.

Purdue, which starts three freshmen and two sophomores, was playing without freshman forward Robbie Hummel (flu), the team's leader in rebounds and assists.

But Walton and Raymar Morgan each picked up two fouls midway through the first and sat the rest of the way.

Their absence was costly.

A 20-6 Purdue run put the Boilermakers up by five points five minutes into the second half. The Breslin fans and their team were stunned.

"Every team is gonna play their best game against us," Morgan said. "We're the No. 6 team in the country. I don't think we were ready. I think we just thought we were gonna come out and win."

MSU scratched back from the deficit with key plays from a variety of people. Neitzel hit three big shots in the second half after making none in the first. His jumper with 3:05 left cut the Spartans' deficit to a point.

Neitzel finished 3-of-8 for nine points. He struggled to guard Purdue's Chris Kramer (game-high 19 points) and sat for a few defensive possessions late in the game.

Asked if he agreed that the Spartans are too cocky for their own good, Neitzel said: "I wouldn't say (we're cocky) overall, as a team ... but maybe some guys just take things for granted."

The Spartans were led on the scoreboard by freshman reserves Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers. Lucas had 16 points but seven of MSU's 17 turnovers. Summers scored 15.

Morgan had 14 points and Suton 12, to go with 10 rebounds. His late offensive board was "the play of the game," Painter said.

MSU shot 61 percent to Purdue's 41.3 percent, but the Boilermakers had 10 fewer turnovers and 22 more shots.

Kramer was one of four Boilermakers in double figures in scoring. Reserve big man Nememanja Calasan helped make up for the loss of Hummel with 18 points, taking it to MSU's big men.

E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant each had 12 points, but Grant missed badly on 3-pointers in the final minute, one with Purdue down one and the other with the Boilermakers trailing by three and six seconds left.

Izzo said he was "proud" of Walton for stepping up and making the big shot, and that, overall, he was glad to see the Spartans humbled.

"I liked getting punched around a bit," Izzo said. "I really did."

Contact Joe Rexrode at jrexrode@lsj.com.

MSU 78, Purdue 75
PURDUE (75)
Player Min FG FT Reb A F Pts
Kramer 34 7-9 3-3 4 1 2 19
Grant 33 4-15 2-2 3 2 2 12
Green 15 3-6 0-0 5 0 5 8
Johnson 12 1-5 0-0 0 0 4 2
Moore 37 4-10 2-2 3 4 2 12
Crump 14 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 0
Martin 26 0-7 4-6 3 4 4 4
Calasan 29 7-11 4-4 4 4 3 18
TEAM 4
Totals 200 26-63 15-17 26 15 25 75
MSU (78)
Player Min FG FT Reb A F Pts
Morgan 30 4-7 6-8 7 3 3 14
Walton 22 1-2 2-2 3 4 2 4
Neitzel 34 3-8 2-2 4 5 3 9
Suton 25 5-7 2-4 10 1 1 12
Naymick 23 1-2 0-0 3 0 5 2
Lucas 30 6-9 4-4 1 5 2 16
Summers 19 4-5 6-7 3 0 3 15
Dahlman 1 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 1
Herzog 3 0-0 1-2 0 0 1 1
Gray 13 1-1 2-2 2 1 0 4
TEAM 1
Totals 200 25-41 26-33 34 19 20 78
3-points goals—Purdue 8-22 (Kramer 2-2, Grant 2-7, Green 2-2, Moore 2-5, Martin 0-4, Calasan 0-2). MSU 2-5 (Walton 0-1, Neitzel 1-2, Lucas 0-1, Summers 1-1). Turnovers—Purdue 7, MSU 17. Fouled out—Green, Naymick. Halftime score—MSU 39, Purdue 30. A—14,759.