No. 18 Ohio State 68, No. 5 Michigan State 60: Aaron Craft scored a career-high 21 points as the host Buckeyes used an inspired second-half effort to send the Spartans to their second straight defeat.

Deshaun Thomas overcame a miserable 4-for-16 shooting performance and scored 12 of his 14 points after intermission for Ohio State (20-7, 10-5 Big Ten), which improved to 2-7 against ranked opponents this season.

Gary Harris scored 14 points to lead Michigan State (22-6, 11-4) while Adreian Payne posted his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

The Spartans shot 50 percent and limited Thomas – the Big Ten’s leading scorer – to 1-of-8 shooting and two points to build a 31-25 halftime advantage. The margin grew to nine twice early in the second half, but following a 3-pointer from Thomas and timeout from a frustrated coach Thad Matta, the Buckeyes hit nine of their next 11 shots to go on a 24-5 run and establish a 51-41 cushion midway through the second half.

Michigan State trimmed the deficit to 63-60 with 2:15 remaining with an 8-1 spurt, but two free throws by Evan Ravenel 58 seconds later gave Ohio State a bit of breathing room. Ravenel blocked Keith Appling’s layup attempt two possessions later and grabbed a rebound that led to a free throw from Craft and accounted for the final margin.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ohio State set a school record by winning 10 Big Ten games for the eighth straight season. … Michigan State, which lost Tuesday at home against Indiana, is on its first two-game losing streak since the Hoosiers and Buckeyes dealt the Spartans consecutive losses last season. … Payne set his career high in rebounds for the second time in three games. He recorded 14 boards on Feb. 16 against Nebraska.