The win allowed the Spartans (14-6-3 CCHA, 18-10-3 overall) to move within two points of the second-place Lakers (15-7-3, 19-11-4).
Chad Alban made 22 saves for Michigan State. John Grahame stopped 37 for the Lakers.
Miami (Ohio) 6, Ferris State 2
Miami scored four unanswered goals, including two by Randy Robitaille, to break a 2-2 tie and beat host Ferris State, 6-2, on Saturday.
Miami (16-6-1, 22-9-1) opened a 2-0 lead on a goal by Joe Bodnar in the first period and one by Dustin Whitecotton at 4:52 of the second.
Ferris State (7-16-1, 11-21-2) tied it on goals by Brett Colborne and Ed Kowalski.
Robitaille broke the tie with an unassisted goal at 6:48. Marc Tropper added a power-play goal and Robitaille added a shorthanded goal as Miami took a 5-2 lead into the third period.
Miami's Trevor Prior stopped 18 shots in the victory.
For Ferris State, Mike Szkodzinski stopped 17 shots in two periods and Roger Wilsey stopped nine shots.
Bowling Green 5, Western Michigan 3
Mike Johnson scored late in the first period and Bowling Green scored three unanswered goals in the second period as the host Falcons took control en route to a 5-3 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday.
Mike Melas scored midway through the first period to give Western (9-9-4, 13-13-4) a 1-0 lead. But Johnson tied the scored five minutes later.
Jeff Corvo had three assists for the Broncos.