EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Maurice Ager scored 25 points and Paul Davis had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 11 Michigan State over No. 23 Iowa 85-55 Saturday.
The Spartans (15-4, 3-2 Big Ten) led by nine at halftime, then turned the game into a rout with a 12-2 run to start the second half against the Hawkeyes (14-5, 3-2).
Adam Haluska scored 19 and Greg Brunner had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Iowa, which had won three straight and seven of eight.
Michigan State has won three straight after losing its first two Big Ten games. The Spartans are 5-3 against ranked teams, including three victories over teams that were in the top 10 when they played.
Shannon Brown scored 17 and had six assists and Drew Neitzel had 11 points and six assists for the Spartans, who have won 11 straight at home against Iowa.
Michigan State’s Big Three – Ager, Davis and Brown – are the only trio in the nation each scoring 17 points a game or more, and each player at least matched his average. At halftime, the trio combined for 27 points and were outscored by Iowa’s entire team by only one point.
Michigan State never trailed and the closest the Hawkeyes were was 2-0.
The Spartans built their first cushion with a 10-2 run midway through the first half, taking a 19-8 lead, and they led 37-28 at halftime.
Four different Michigan State players scored during the decisive run at the start of the second half, which gave Michigan State a 49-30 lead. The Spartans kept scoring from all over the court, connecting on 61 percent of their shots after halftime, and they went on to win by their largest margin of the year.
Iowa’s Jeff Horner was held to six points – half his average – and the Hawkeyes made just 34 percent of their shots.
The Spartans shot 50 percent, making 30 baskets on 26 assists with just 10 turnovers.