Michigan State guard Kalin Lucas (1) gets past Texas forward Connor Atchley for a basket. The No. 9 Spartans upended the No. 4 Longhorns, 78-72, on Saturday in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Auburn Hills, Mich. ? A 6-foot, 180-pound point guard could not be stopped during the pivotal part of the Texas-Michigan State game.

And it wasn’t D.J. Augustin.

Freshman Kalin Lucas scored a career-high 18 points, including a pair of acrobatic layups in a key first-half run, to lead the ninth-ranked Spartans to a 78-72 victory Saturday night over the fourth-ranked Longhorns.

“We’re listed the same, but I think I’m taller, and I think I’m just as good as him,” Lucas said. “I took this matchup personally because people have been saying he’s the best point guard in the country.”

Augustin was called for his second foul during the game-changing stretch, going to the bench with the score tied and 51â2 minutes left in the first half.

“It was just a stupid play, and I hurt my team,” Augustin said. “I can’t do that.”

The Spartans then took control with seven straight points to cap a 13-0 run toward the end of the first half and didn’t let the Longhorns back in it until the final minute.

After Michigan State took a 72-60 lead with 1:15 left, A.J. Abrams made four three-pointers in 36 seconds to pull Texas within five.

The Longhorns had a chance to get even closer when Lucas missed two free throws with 23 seconds left, but Raymar Morgan blocked Augustin’s layup, essentially sealing the outcome.

“That was a big-time block,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.

Abrams and Augustin scored 24 and 22 points, respectively, but they combined to shoot 15-of-37 as Texas struggled offensively for the first time this season.

No. 14 Texas A&M 88, UC Irvine 66

College Station, Texas – Donald Sloan had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists to lead Texas A&M.

Dominique Kirk added 14 points, and DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and five rebounds for the Aggies, who have won 32 of their last 33 games at Reed Arena. Texas A&M has won 43 consecutive regular-season nonconference home games.

Stanford 62, Texas Tech 61

Dallas – Brook Lopez knew it was his responsibility to lead Stanford back after halftime.

In just his second game of the season, Lopez scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half as Stanford won its sixth straight.

“It was completely on me,” Lopez said. “I realized that I had two points in first half. For me to help the team, I had to attack the basket.”

The 7-foot Lopez played 9:30 in the first half before picking up his second foul. Robin Lopez, another Stanford 7-footer and Brook’s twin brother, also picked up two quick fouls and logged less than six minutes before halftime.

Texas Tech ended the first half on a 21-7 run to take a 33-26 halftime lead.

That’s when Stanford and Brook Lopez got going offensively.

Oklahoma State 69, Texas Arlington 64

Stillwater, Okla. – Freshman James Anderson connected on a crucial three-point basket with 2:11 left for Oklahoma State.

Trailing 67-64, UTA had one last chance to tie the game, but Rod Epps missed a three-pointer with 24 seconds left. Junior Terrel Harris connected on a pair of free throws with six seconds left on the clock to seal the victory for Oklahoma State.

Kansas State 90, Winston-Salem 48

Manhattan – Michael Beasley scored a career-high 40 points and pulled down 15 rebounds as Kansas State used a strong second-half surge to pull away.

Kansas State improved to 8-3 on the season, while Winston-Salem State dropped to 4-6.

Beasley recorded his 11th straight double-double of the season and became just the ninth player in school history to score 40 or more points in a game.

Kansas State opened the second half on a 41-13 run to break open the contest, with Beasley going 11-for-13 from the field.

Nebraska 71, North Carolina Central 28

Lincoln, Neb. – Sek Henry scored 10 points in the first half as Nebraska raced to a 10-0 lead and led by 27 points at intermission.

Nebraska held North Carolina Central to just eight points in the first half, the lowest single-half total in the 32-year history of the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Colorado 73, Colorado St. 70

Fort Collins, Colo. – Marcus King-Stockton hit a layup with 31.3 seconds remaining, and Richard Roby finished with 18 points.

It was the Buffaloes’ first win at Moby Arena in four years. Colorado’s victory also snapped the Rams’ 24-game home winning streak against nonconference opponents.

Illinois 59, Missouri 58

St. Louis – Shaun Pruitt scored the go-ahead basket on a putback with 35 seconds to go, his third shot in the sequence, and Illinois survived a wild finish in the annual Braggin’ Rights game.