How much of it was Ohio State’s offense and how much of it was Michigan State’s defense?

Depending on which side was talking, one had more to do than the other with Michigan State entering Value City Arena last night, limiting the Buckeyes to 14 field goals and 26.4 percent shooting from the field, and forcibly snatching a share of the Big Ten lead with a 58-48 upset of the nation’s third-ranked team.

“We’ve played 25 games. We decided the 25th game we weren’t going to play our system,” center Jared Sullinger said after Ohio State’s 39-game home winning streak was snapped. “We didn’t execute our offense.”

But why didn’t they?

“I thought Ohio State missed some shots that I see them normally make,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said, “and I’m hoping it was because we tried to run ’em, run ’em, run ’em, to wear them down a little bit.

“I thought our defense was about as good as it’s been all year.”

Adreian Payne, a Dayton native and former AAU teammate of Sullinger, had “the best game in maybe his whole career,” Izzo said, leading 11th-ranked Michigan State with 15 points. Payne made all six of his field-goal attempts in a head-to-head matchup with his former teammate.

Keith Appling added 14 points and Draymond Green had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Spartans (20-5, 9-3), who had lost their past three games to Ohio State.

Sullinger led Ohio State (21-4, 9-3) with 17 points and 16 rebounds but also was forced into 10 turnovers by a tenacious Michigan State defense that tag-teamed him with the long-armed, 6-foot-10 Payne and 6-9,

270-pound Derrick Nix.

Ohio State finished with more turnovers (15) than baskets.

Aaron Craft scored 15 points for the Buckeyes, but the team’s second- and third-leading scorers, William Buford and Deshaun Thomas, each finished

2 of 12 from the field.

Craft said the Spartans defense had a lot to do with it.

“You have to give them a lot of credit,” he said. “That’s kind of what they hang their hat on: pressure defense and limiting us to one shot.

“They’re a great shrink-the-floor team, and I think our guys kind of weren’t ready for it. Some of our actions (on offense) are supposed to flow from side to side, and I think we got a little selfish and were looking for our own shots. You definitely have to give them credit for getting in our heads a little bit and taking us out of our offense.”

Despite their woes on offense, the Buckeyes cut a 12-point deficit to four, 44-40, with 6:24 left after an 11-3 “run” that took more than eight minutes to put together.

But after a timeout, Michigan State went inside for baskets by Nix, Payne and Green, rebuilt its lead to 10 with 2:52 remaining and locked up the victory at the free-throw line.

Michigan State outscored Ohio State 30-12 in the paint.

Izzo began the game by substituting early and often, and by halftime had played eight players from six to

18 minutes. All five of Ohio State’s starters played at least 15 minutes, three of them all 20.

By game’s end, eight Michigan State players had played at least 12 minutes. Ohio State’s five starters played 32 or more.

“We tried to wear them down by running on offense. It wasn’t our defense,” Izzo said. “We just kept telling our big guys to sprint every time on the break, even if it’s not there.”

But Ohio State coach Thad Matta said he “didn’t see it.”

“Our defense was good enough,” Matta said. “But you can’t shoot

26 percent.”

bbaptist@dispatch.com