Izzo: 'The better team won tonight'

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Toledo's Keith Triplett knew his performance would be pivotal in the final minute.

And he didn't fail, missing only of six free throws as the Rockets upset No. 14 Michigan State 81-76 Monday night.

"I had to make them," said Triplett, 9-for-10 from the line in a 17-point game. "I felt as though I would have lost the game if I hadn't."

It was the first non-conference defeat for the Spartans in 36 games, since a 68-65 loss to Detroit on Dec. 13, 1997.

"Obviously, we are happy with the win tonight," said Toledo coach Stan Joplin, a former assistant to Michigan State's Tom Izzo. "We knew we would have to play well coming in here and we did a lot of good things tonight."

Izzo wasn't pleased with his team's effort.

"The better team won tonight," he said. "They outplayed us in just about every phase. We tried a phony comeback and lost. We didn't deserve to win at the end."

Triplett's free throws came after Michigan State (8-3) had overcome a 65-52 deficit to tie the game at 71 on Chris Hill's 3-pointer with 2 minutes remaining.

"That's what the game is about; it's a game of runs," Triplett said. "The key is, you've got to finish. We needed the free throws, and we got them to win the game."

Following a 3-pointer by Toledo's Nick Moore, Kelvin Torbert tied the game again with a 3-pointer with 1:10 left.

After three Triplett free throws gave Toledo a 77-74 lead, Adam Ballenger hit a basket to get Michigan State to within one with 20 seconds left. But that was close as the Spartans would get.

"Everyone thought we were going to pull it out in the end," Michigan State's Chris Hill said. "Give them credit. They hit their free throws."

All the Spartans could do was wish they had put up a better fight. "Personally, this is one of the most disappointing losses in a long time," Aloysius Anagonye said. "We've got to give them credit. They played better defense. They hit their shots and we didn't defend them. We did not perform on defense."

Izzo was more blunt.

"I'm looking for 40 minutes of effort, and we haven't gotten it yet," he said. "If things keep going like this, it's going to be a long season."

Joplin, who admitted to mixed emotions coaching against the Spartans, went into the game hoping merely for a better performance than his team's last trip to the Breslin Center, when Michigan State won 78-33.

"We knew we would have to play extremely well to win here," he said. "They don't lose here very often."

Joplin said he wasn't going to spend too much time celebrating the victory.

"We'll celebrate for a day, at least," he said.

Morris and Hill each had 19 points. Sammy Villegas had 11 for Toledo, while Torbert and Anagonye had 16 apiece for Michigan State.