AT THE BRESLIN CENTER, EAST LANSING
WHAT HAPPENED: Four Spartans scored in double figures -- led by Branden Dawson's 14 points -- and MSU turned a tight game early into a rout late. MSU led by as many as 30 points in the second half, and by then the Spartans were running, lobbing and dunking. The win gave MSU a share of the conference lead and snapped a two-game losing streak.
MECHANICAL TROUBLE AND BAD WEATHER: Purdue's trip to East Lansing from West Lafayette, Ind., began Friday afternoon and didn't end until 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The Boilermakers' first attempt to fly at 4 p.m. Friday ended when the plane couldn't take off because of mechanical problems. Then the team was supposed to leave at 6, then 7. Finally, the team got on a plane at 9 p.m. and waited on the tarmac for 3 hours because of snow in Michigan. So the team had to take an early bus Saturday morning. Coach Matt Painter didn't want to blame his team's shooting problems (29% from the field) on the travel.
"I think if our travel was perfect, we still would have got beat today," he said.
ROBBIE HUMMEL PART I: For the first time in Hummel's collegiate career, he didn't make a field goal. Purdue's senior forward shot 0-for-11 and scored two points. "I got a lot of good looks, I just didn't make them. It's embarrassing," he said.
HUMMEL PART II: Hummel missed the previous two seasons with knee injuries. At one point during the game Saturday, a fan yelled that he hoped Hummel would tear his ACL again. Painter heard it and jawed back. "I was just trying to fight, man," said Painter. "I think ... the Izzone is great. But if they are gonna say I hope you tear your ACL again, I'm gonna say something. (Hummel) doesn't deserve that."
Said Hummel: "It's part of the game. They're one of the toughest places to play in America. I could give a crap about what the Izzone says. (MSU has) to come back to West Lafayette. We will see them again."
QUOTABLE: When told about the comments directed toward Hummel from the student section, coach Tom Izzo said: "If that's the case, I'm gonna rip the Izzone again, because he is one of my favorite players in the league. ... I want our fans to be as hard as they can be, I just don't want them to be ignorant."
Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freepspartans.
Windsor will answer your questions in a live chat at 3 p.m. Wednesday at freep.com/sports.
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