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No. 2 Michigan State holds off No. 13 Purdue

Vince Edwards, Eron Harris

Purdue’s Vince Edwards (12) shoots against Michigan State’s Eron Harris (14) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals at the Big Ten Conference tournament, Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

AP

Michigan State took home the Big Ten tournament and likely clinched a No. 1 seed with a 66-62 win over No. 13 Purdue on Sunday.

The Spartans (29-5) were able to hold off a late charge from Purdue to win the Big Ten tournament for the fifth time as Denzel Valentine just missed a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Bryn Forbes added nine points and Matt Costello had eight points as well for the Spartans.

The Boilermakers (26-8) had 19 points from Vince Edwards and A.J. Hammons and Caleb Swanigan each had 11 points but they couldn’t get over the hump. Purdue is likely looking at a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and should still be a very tough matchup thanks to frontcourt depth.

This was a nice tournament for Michigan State to win before the NCAA tournament as they’ll gain some more confidence as one of the best teams entering the field. With Denzel Valentine playing at such a high level and other talented seniors, this will be a major threat to win the title.