No. 17 Michigan State 59, No. 11 Ohio State 56: Keith Appling scored six of his 15 points in the final 43 seconds as the Spartans outlasted the visiting Buckeyes.

Adreian Payne added 14 points and Branden Dawson collected nine points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State (16-3, 5-1 Big Ten), which has won five straight since dropping its conference opener at Minnesota on Dec. 31.

Big Ten leading scorer Deshaun Thomas poured in 28 points but no one else managed more than six for Ohio State (13-4, 3-2).

The Buckeyes rallied late when Thomas capped an 11-4 run with a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key to knot it at 50 with 2:58 left. Payne stopped the surge, getting the ball out of a timeout and going straight to the basket for a layup and a foul.

Ohio State guard Aaron Craft made a pair of steals that led to three free throws and another tie before Appling’s driving layup put the Spartans back on top 55-53. Craft missed a 3-pointer out of another timeout and Appling took the long rebound down for a dunk before sealing it at the line.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Buckeyes had a chance to tie it at the end but Shannon Scott missed an off-balance 3-pointer. … Craft’s five steals tie him with Jay Burson (204) for the school record. … The Spartans had a 34-25 advantage on the glass to help make up for a 3-for-13 effort from beyond the arc.