BTN.com staff, February 6, 2013

Gary Harris scored 15 points and Keith Appling added 14 points before leaving the game with an injury to help No. 12 Michigan State bounce back from a poor first half to beat No. 18 Minnesota 61-50 Wednesday night.

[ VIDEO: Derrick Nix flattens Michigan State cheerleaders ]

Appling left the court with 1:17 left, holding his right shoulder after getting tied up with Joe Coleman. He returned to the bench in the final minute.

The Spartans (19-4 8-2 Big Ten) moved into a second-place tie with No. 3 Michigan, whom they host Tuesday night. They picked up their eighth win in nine games since losing the conference opener against the Golden Gophers (17-6, 5-5) on the road.

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Gary Harris postgame interview:

Branden Dawson gets own rebound, And-1:

Branden Dawson gets steal and slam:

Derrick Nix flattens a couple cheerleaders:

Rodney Williams stuffs Gary Harris:

FINAL: When the second frame got underway, No. 8 Michigan State took control of the game en route to capturing a 61-50 victory over No. 18 Minnesota on Wednesday. Trailing 25-20 with 17:19 in the game, Michigan State (19-4) went on a 21-4 run to seize a 12-point advantage in the middle of the second half. Adreian Payne sparked the Spartans, as he had 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the victory. Denzel Valentine nailed 3-of-5 shots from the field and scored eight points. Michigan State was hot from long range, hitting 9-of-18 threes for a 50 percent night from beyond the arc. The Spartans also got double-digit games from Keith Appling (14 points) and Gary Harris (15 points). Trevor Mbakwe came through for Minnesota (17-6) with nine points and 14 rebounds

HALFTIME: No. 18 Minnesota leads 20-18 at halftime after locking down No. 8 Michigan State's offense, holding the Spartans to six field goals on 24 percent shooting. Each team took a turn in the driver's seat as the lead changed hands five times. Michigan State led 13-6 when the Golden Gophers went on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead. The Spartans hit 44 percent (4-of-9) of their three-point attempts, two of which came from freshman Gary Harris. Harris and Keith Appling pace Michigan State with six points. Rodney Williams, Joe Coleman and Andre Hollins all scored five points apiece to lead the Golden Gophers, who shot 38 percent.

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