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Saturday, Feb. 24 7:00pm ET
Spartans trail Illini by half-game

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson each scored 16 points to lead No. 5 Michigan State to a 76-57 Big Ten Conference victory over Penn State Saturday night.

After losing the lead for the first time midway through the second half, Michigan State (22-3, 11-3) went on a 10-0 run, including a basket and two free throws from Bell, to go up 57-48 with 6:04 left.

Jon Crispin scored on a putback for the Nittany Lions (16-9, 6-8). But Bell scored five more in an 11-0 run that put Michigan State up 68-50 with 2:08 left and put the game out of reach.

Penn State never led in the first half, but Brandon Watkins hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 47-47 tie and the Nittany Lions took their first lead when Gyasi Cline-Heard hit one of two free throws to put Penn State up 48-47 with 9:58 left in the game.

Andre Hutson finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds, and Zach Randolph scored 10 points for the Spartans.

Cline-Heard led Penn State with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Joe Crispin -- the league's leading scorer at 20.2 points per game -- finished with 16 points, only two coming in the second half.

The win leaves the Spartans just a half-game behind No. 3 Illinois in the Big Ten standings. The Illini beat Iowa 89-63 Saturday.

With their size and quickness in the post, the Spartans dominated inside in the first half, getting 21 points from Randolph, Richardson, Andre Hutson and Aloysius Anagonye and grabbing nine offensive rebounds. Michigan State outrebounded the Nittany Lions 23-13 in the first half and led 38-30 at halftime.

The crowd at the sold-out Bryce Jordan Center gave a standing ovation at halftime to Penn State cornerback Adam Taliaferro, who was back on campus for the first time since sustaining a serious neck injury Sept. 23 in a football game at Ohio State. Although initially paralyzed, Taliaferro can now walk on his own.

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AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Aloysius Anagonye gets his own board and goes back up for an easy score.
avi: 636 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Andre Hutson posts up in the lane for a Michigan State score.
avi: 551 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Jason Richardson takes the alley-oop from Charlie Bell and drops it in for a score.
avi: 773 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Gyasi Cline-Heard muscles in the lane for a hoop and a foul.
avi: 889 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1