Nov. 23, 2011

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Draymond Green scored 18 points and Michigan State claimed a 22-6 edge at the free throw line to claim a 68-55 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wednesday night at the Breslin Center.

The Panthers (4-1) trailed by just four at halftime but could not withstand an early second-half barrage by the Spartans (3-2), who scored the first nine points of the frame to build a double-digit lead.

Kaylon Williams scored 14 points and James Haarsma 13 for Milwaukee, which was also hurt by 19 turnovers.

The Panthers actually made more field goals than the Spartans (22-21), outscored Michigan State in the paint (26-24) and won the battle of second-chance points (16-6) but the foul trouble proved too much for Milwaukee to overcome.

"We just couldn't get to the free throw line. That was the main difference," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "If you can't get to the free throw line you're not going to win many basketball games.

UWM also never really got itself on track offensively in the second half.

"We just learned a lesson tonight about being patient," Jeter said. "When you are not patient it just compounds problems. And then the 19 turnovers - you're not going to win many games when you turn it over that many times."

The foul trouble did allow for extended minutes for a few of the Panther newcomers. Shaquille Boga had eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes while Demetrius Harris had four points and three boards in 19 minutes.

The two teams played an entertaining first 20 minute of basketball. Milwaukee was within a point at 9-8 in the early going, as three-pointers by Williams and Kyle Kelm sparked the UWM offense. The Panthers then tied the game at 17-apiece when Williams knocked in another three and the game was knotted at 26-all as Boga scored on a driving layin with 5:38 remaining.

Foul trouble appeared to catch up to Milwaukee at that point, as four Panther starters hit the bench with two fouls apiece. Michigan State scored seven points in a row to go up 33-26 and still led 34-27 with under a minute to play. But Haarsma, the lone starter still on the floor for Milwaukee, knocked down a three from the top of the key to bring the Panthers within 34-30 at the break.

Unfortunately, the fouls caught right back up to UWM early in the second half, as Williams and Haarsma went to the bench with three fouls apiece. After Michigan State built a 43-30 lead on a basket by Branden Dawson with 17:40, the Panthers did pull back to within 46-38 on a dunk by Harris with 13:14 remaining.

The Spartans quickly extended the lead back out, going up 51-38 on a Derrick Nix hoop with 11:54 remaining. Milwaukee again got the deficit down to 10 at 52-42 on a Haarsma follow-up with 8:33 remaining, but Michigan State scored the next four points to rebuild a 56-42 advantage. MSU then led by as many 17 points in the closing moments.

The Panthers head back to the road this weekend, playing at Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday at 7 p.m.