EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Similar to last season, the Maryland men's basketball team entered the Breslin Center on Saturday late in their conference slate and winners of seven straight. Last year's game served as a measuring stick for the young Terps, a team that fielded nine underclassmen and ended up leaving East Lansing with a 14-point loss.
Maryland returned to Breslin Center a year later as an older, experienced and better team, coming away with a 67-60 win over the Spartans.
After blowing a 15-point first-half lead and being down by as many as seven late in the second half, the Terps ended the game with 14 straight points and a personal 11-0 run by senior guard Anthony Cowan Jr., who scored a game-high 24 points.
The 15-point advantage in the first half was the Terps' largest lead on the road this season, but Michigan State trimmed its deficit to 39-31 at the break by closing the half on a 7-0 run.
Maryland missed its last four shots of the first half and did not score in the final two minutes and 57 seconds.
While Michigan State shot better than Maryland in the first half, 42% for the Spartans compared to the Terps' 40%, the Terps made five of their 11 3-point attempts and 10 of their 11 free-throw attempts.
A turnover by Maryland on one possession and fast-break dunk by Michigan State that cut Maryland's lead to six prompted a timeout by coach Mark Turgeon just one minute into the second half.
Michigan State began the second half on an 8-2 run and cut Maryland's lead to one at several points during the second half. The Spartans took their first lead since early in the first half after a three by senior guard Cassius Winston gave them a 54-51 lead with seven minutes remaining.
Michigan State gained its largest lead of the game at seven with under four minutes remaining but Maryland responded with its own run, stunning the crowd at Breslin Center and leaving with their eighth straight win, their most in conference play since joining the Big Ten.
Sophomore forward Jalen Smith extended his double-double streak to eight games with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior forward Xavier Tillman led Michigan State with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
