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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell each scored 15 points and Michigan State (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) hung on to first place in the Big Ten with a 59-54 win over Wisconsin on Saturday.
It was the 26th straight win at Breslin Center for the Spartans
(20-6, 10-2), who now have put together three straight 20-win
seasons for the first time in school history.
|  | | Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves, who scored 12 points, soars to the basket as Wisconsin's Andy Kowske defends. |
Andy Kowske scored 11 points for Wisconsin (13-12, 5-8), which
held the Spartans to just three field goals over the final 14:21 of
the game.
Michigan State shot just 34 percent (16-of-47) from the field
and the Badgers 39 percent (16-of-41).
A three-point play by Kowske gave Wisconsin its first lead,
32-31, on the first score of the second half. It was the first of
six lead changes in the half.
The Spartans went 4:39 between a jumper Jason Richardson and
Charlie Bell's layup with 9:40 remaining, but four free throws
helped Michigan State build a 47-41 lead despite the shooting
slump.
The Badgers weren't shooting much better. They made just two
field goals over a 10-minute stretch after Jon Bryant's 3-pointer
tied it at 39 with 14:30 left.
Richardson's jumper with 14:21 left gave the Spartans the lead,
41-39, which they managed to hold the rest of the way.
A 3-pointer by Mateen Cleaves gave the Spartans a 53-44 lead
with 5:38 left.
Two free throws by Kowske narrowed the gap to 57-54 with 4.1
seconds left, but Cleaves -- still with 4.1 seconds showing on the
clock -- hit two free throws to ice it for Michigan State.
This was the second meeting in eight days between these teams.
The Spartans spanked Wisconsin 61-44 on Feb. 12 in Madison. But
this clearly was a new day.
The Badgers hit 12 3-pointers and tied an NCAA record by hitting
11 straight treys in a 75-59 win over Michigan on Wednesday, and it
was their best weapon in this game, too. Wisconsin sank five 3s in
the first half and seven for the game.
A free throw by Cleaves, who finished with 12 points and six
assists, gave Michigan State a 25-16 lead with 7:29 left in the
first half.
But 3-point baskets by Mark Vershaw, Jon Bryant and Maurice
Linton paced a 13-4 run that drew the Badgers even at 29-all with
2:13 left in the half.
Play, as it was through most of the first half, was ragged the
rest of the way and a jumper in the paint by Cleaves sent the
Spartans off with a 31-29 halftime lead. But the Badgers had a
14-12 edge in rebounds against one of the best rebounding teams in
the nation.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Wisconsin Clubhouse
Michigan State Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mateen Cleaves dishes to Charlie Bell for the layup.
avi: 485 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mateen Cleaves throws up the "oop" to Morris Peterson.
avi: 1031 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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