Michigan State University
Iowa
Men's Basketball Upends Iowa, 82-54
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich (AP) -
The 6-foot-9 forward from Bluffton, Ind., snapped out of a season-long basketball slump with a career-high 22 points in just 19 minutes as the Spartans smashed Iowa 82-54 Wednesday.
Ballinger had eight points in the first 2:55 as the Spartans (17-11, 9-6 Big Ten) took a 16-0 lead over the Hawkeyes (14-12, 6-9). He finished 9-for-13 from the field, including 4-for-5 work at the three-point line, in a long-awaited performance.
"It was everything I dreamed it would be," said Ballinger, who hadn't scored in double figures since Dec. 8. "My teammates did a great job of looking for me. And I was more tired with everyone jumping on me than I was from the game itself."
Michigan State led 39-16 at the half and was up by 35 with less than four minutes left in its seventh win in the last nine league games.
The victory lifted the Spartans into a tie with Purdue for fourth place in the conference with one game to play and moved them closer to an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
"I'm not sure I could've scripted it any better," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "It was just an incredible night for Adam. I told him last night I thought he had a few games left in him."
Alan Anderson added 14 points, Chris Hill had 11 and Kelvin Torbert 10, as the three perimeter players were 15-for-22 from the field. They sent Michigan State's seniors out in style, as Anagonye and Ballinger kissed the "S" at midcourt in Breslin Center when they left the game.
Hill and Anderson took turns leaping on Ballinger after 3-point baskets and a breakaway dunk that erased some of the pain of a long season, when a third-team All-Big Ten choice last year was relegated to a backup role.
"We were just so excited all night long," Hill said. "We were with Adam every single day and know exactly what he went through. It has been a long time since I've seen him smile like that."
Iowa was 0-for-9 with nine turnovers before it finally made a basket with 11:23 left in the first half. Jared Reiner was the Hawkeyes' lone bright spot with 17 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
The Spartans outshot Iowa 60.5 percent to 20 percent in the first half and 57.4 percent to 35.3 percent for the game.
Michigan State also had a 20-2 edge in fast-break points, largely due to its seven blocked shots and 14 steals in a smothering 3-2 zone defense -- the first time it had played all zone in Izzo's eight seasons.
"We've been on the road for three straight games and at home I think it might've been a little different," Iowa coach Steve Alford said. "But this is a tough environment. We played a very good team. It's Senior Day. And they came out hot and threw a zone at us. Our guys didn't handle it very well."
