Massive, massive win in Ann Arbor
Michigan State overcame a horrific stretch of basketball and put together another strong second half to take down their rival on the road and seize control of the Big Ten race.
Michigan won the tip and looked to go inside to one of their seven foot big men but MSU was ready for it and created a turnover. On the other end, Jase Richardson started the scoring with a nice step back three with help from a screen from Syzmon Zapala. Michigan responded with a couple of offensive rebounds and then a Vladislav Goldin bucket over Zapala.
The Spartans went ahead 7-2 after a Jaxon Kohler offensive rebound led to a Jeremy Fears midrange jumper to beat the shot clock. The lead was still five for MSU after Nimari Burnett did his best Coen Carr impression on a dunk for UM but Carr quickly showed him how to dunk properly on an alley oop from Holloman to make it 11-6, Spartans.
Richardson got fouled on a drive going into the first media timeout and then hit both foul shots after the break to put Michigan State up seven. A Jaden Akins three would make it 16-8 MSU but then the wheels started to come off for the Spartans.
Michigan packed the lane and gave the Spartans several wide open mid range jumpers. They weren’t falling for MSU and a 15-0 run had UM ahead 23-16 with 7:19 to go.
Tre Holloman drew a foul going into the third media timeout and his two free throws coming out of the break momentarily broke the Michigan run. A three from Will Tschetter got Michigan going again and put them back up eight.
A long two from Holloman got it back to six and then Carr was able to get an offensive rebound against Michigan’s 2-3 zone and dunk it home to cut the UM lead to 26-22. The Michigan bench was called for a technical for arguing that the ball was still in the cylinder on Carr’s dunk. Holloman hit one of the foul shots and MSU was back within three.
Goldin responded for Michigan with a three point play and later a three from Tre Donaldson put Michigan up 32-25.
Goldin also drew the second fouls on both Jaxon Kohler and Zapala before the half was over. His three made free throws from his fouls kept the Michigan lead at seven, 37-30.
Richardson would get to the middle of the Michigan zone to hit a floater and then later hit two free throws on what should have been MSU’s last possession of the half to get MSU back within three at 37-34.
The half probably should have ended that way but, for some reason, Jeremy Fears perhaps thought the Spartans had a foul to give and fouled L.J. Carson in the midcourt. Carson hit one free throw to make it 38-34 UM. Frankie Fidler had a good look at a long three to end the half but it clanked off the back rim.
The good news at this point was that MSU endured a horrible stretch of basketball while Michigan may have had one of their best runs of the season but could only go into the locker with a four point lead. Michigan shot 54% to the Spartans 39% and nine Spartan turnovers led to nine Michigan points while MSU managed just two assists in the first half.
As the second half started, the Spartans quickly got the lead back on two inside-out threes. The first went in to Kohler, who went back to Fears, who found Richardson for the triple. Then Kohler kicked it to Fears who drained another three when Michigan dared him to.
But Goldin would have a response for Michigan getting two buckets to fall over Carson Cooper to put Michigan back up 42-40. Goldin would then go on to draw the third foul on Kohler and shortly after that Wolf drew Zapala’s third on an aggressive drive with 16 minutes to go.
The Spartans responded with a 6-0 run starting with a Holloman drive to tie it at 42. Holloman then found Cooper for a slam to put the Spartans back in front. Richardson extended the lead to 46-42 as he got behind the Michigan defense after Wolf missed a layup.
Goldin would continue to punish the Spartans inside, drawing Cooper’s third foul and hitting both free throws and later putting back his own miss to bring UM within two. Between those plays by Goldin, an Akins drive put MSU back up 48-44 before a Burnett three cut MSU’s lead to one.
Now, it was time for Tre Holloman to give MSU a huge boost with three triples in a row and suddenly it was 57-49, MSU with 10:43 to go and Michigan was forced into a timeout.
The Wolverines drew up a play for Wolf coming out of the timeout and it worked as he converted in the lane to make it 57-51. The Spartans responded by breaking the 2-3 zone, getting it to Kohler on the baseline, where he worked his way to the rim to put MSU back up eight.
Kohler would pick up his fourth foul on the Spartans’ next possession after battling for an offensive rebound on a missed jumper from Akins. Michigan couldn’t convert on their end and then a crafty drive from Richardson drew a foul. Jase hit one to make it 60-51. After another empty Michigan possession, Fears was able to penetrate the zone and put MSU up double digits at 62-51.
MIchigan wasn’t going away though. Roddy Gayle Jr. hit two free throws coming out of the under eight minute timeout and then a putback from Wolf and a Goldin dunk had Michigan back within five at 62-57. After Richardson couldn’t get a driving layup to fall, Goldin struck again with another slam and drew another foul in the process. He didn’t get the foul shot but the 8-0 run had Michigan within three.
That would be Michigan’s last gasp though as the Spartans closed with a 13-3 run to end the game.
Cooper found Richardson in the middle of the zone for a massively needed hoop to end the MIchigan run and then Holloman rewarded Cooper to break the zone again and make it 68-62 MSU.
The Wolverines decided to dare Fears again and he banked in a 3 (pretty sure he called “glass”) to put the Spartans back up 9. After Richardson was fouled with 1:40 to go, the Spartans closed it out with three offensive rebounds that must have had Tom Izzo beaming.
Michigan had to foul after the third board. Akins hit both free throws and punctuated the win with a slam to send the Spartans back to East Lansing in first place with a 75-62 victory.
The Spartans outscored Michigan 41-24 in the second half and only committed two turnovers after the break. MSU won the rebounding battle 34-25 and held their own in the paint, where Michigan had just a 34-32 advantage.
Goldin and Wolf were as advertised for Michigan with 21 and 11 points, respectively but Richardson scored 21 for the Spartans. Holloman added 18 and his three second half triples really turned it in MSU’s favor.