=== Michigan State hangs on against Louisiana ===
 
 East  Lansing,  MI (Sports Network) -  Keith Appling scored 19 points, Branden
 Dawson  had 12 and the 15th-ranked Michigan State Spartans held on to beat the
 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, 63-60, at the Breslin Center.
 
 Appling  also compiled six rebounds and five assists, while Dawson's inability
 to  seal  the win  with  free  throws gave  Louisiana  an  opportunity to  tie
 the game.
 
 Down  10 with  3:09 remaining, the Ragin' Cajuns closed to within 62-60 inside
 the final minute.
 
 Elfrid  Payton  missed a layup after  recording his seventh steal of the game.
 Michigan  State's  Denzel Valentine managed to  get back on the play and block
 the shot. However, Kevin Brown was on the spot to convert the putback.
 
 The  Spartans came up  empty on their next possession and Shawn Long failed to
 connect on a drive to the hoop.
 
 Dawson  grabbed the rebound  and went to the line with six seconds to play. He
 made  the  first attempt but missed  the second. Michigan State (5-1), though,
 prevailed when Payton's deep 3-point try was off the mark.
 
 "We  have  moments, moments don't create  good seasons, they create a good win
 here and there," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.
 
 Payton  posted 20  points and six rebounds for Louisiana (2-4). Long and Brown
 supported him with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
 
 "We  had  an opportunity at the  end, and that's  really all you can ask for,"
 said Louisiana coach Bob Marlin.
 
 The  Ragin'  Cajuns led  by as  many as seven  early on,  but Russell Byrd and
 Brandan  Kearney drained  consecutive 3-pointers  to give  Michigan State  its
 first lead at 23-21 with 6:53 to play in the first half.
 
 Michigan  State was up 33-27 at the break and stretched its advantage to 46-36
 on two Appling free throws with 11:23 left.
 
                                   Game Notes
 
 The  Spartans have  won 67 straight home games against unranked non-conference
 opponents  ...  Kearney finished with  10 points  ... Michigan State shot 42.6
 percent,  slightly better  than Louisiana (40.4 percent) ... The Ragin' Cajuns
 missed 10 free throws.
 
 
 11/25 17:11:41 ET

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