Rapid reaction to No. 3 Michigan’s 83-71 win at No. 7 Michigan State.
The Moment
Blowing a 16-point lead would have been a tough pill to swallow. And after that Michigan nightmare became a possibility, junior guard Elliot Cadeau hit a stepback 3-pointer.
Cadeau brought the score to 69-63 with three minutes to play. The game had been within one possession for most of the previous 10 minutes after Michigan State quickly dissipated a 14-point halftime deficit.
Michigan doesn’t have to think about how deflating a comeback loss would have been; Cadeau is who to thank.
The Takeaway
It’s easy to overstate a regular-season game in college basketball, but it’s also hard to call this win anything but the most important of Dusty May’s tenure. Michigan atoned for its two costly losses to the Spartans last year, ended a road drought dating back to 2018, and took command of the conference race, too.
The fashion of the Wolverines’ win is also a big deal in a rivalry that has been one-sided for quite some time. Michigan had to earn this one, perhaps disappointing after mounting a 14-point halftime lead, but also unsurprising given the stakes, the atmosphere, and the opponent.
Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. kept the Spartans in the game as the Wolverines’ defense was hounding them in the first half. In the second half, he kept scoring and also created a great deal of shots for teammates, willing Michigan State back in the game in an inspiring way.
But Michigan never let the Spartans’ swing back get out of hand. The Wolverines made the necessary plays to win a close game — three days after doing the same against No. 5 Nebraska.
The Wolverines complete the toughest week of their season 2-0, atop the conference standings. And arguably more importantly, they won at Breslin Center in the highest-ranked matchup in the history of the rivalry.
The Star
If you’re Dusty May, this is the type of game you recruit a guy like Yaxel Lendeborg for. Lendeborg didn’t just fill up the stat sheet with a double-double and play great defense — which he often does — Lendeborg made some of the most memorable plays in one of the rivalry’s most memorable games.
Utilizing a flagrant hook-and-hold, Lendeborg hit both free throws and then an and-1 on the inbound that shot Michigan out to a 34-21 lead. A few plays later, Lendeborg was fouled under the basket out in transition, which ended up being another flagrant on the Spartans.
Early in the second half, Lendeborg blocked Fears on a three up top, and again shot out in transition. This time, Fears didn’t bother fouling, letting Lendeborg hit an emphatic dunk. Lendeborg, though dealing with foul trouble, made some important plays down the stretch too. He made a layup to keep Michigan State at bay, 71-65 ,and hauled down numerous second chances.
Lendeborg lived up to his billing with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks in 35 minutes.
The Stat
Michigan State shot 11-for-41 combined on three and non-dunk/layup twos. Clean looks were just not a commodity for the Spartans on Friday night. With their size and length, the Wolverines were contesting everything.
The Spartans’ offense stalled, except for Fears, who Michigan probably let get to the rim and to the line more than it would have liked. But Fears still was 1-for-5 from behind the arc, following suit with the rest of his teammates. Michigan State just didn’t see enough shots fall with just a 40% eFG%.
Four Factors
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