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EAST LANSING, Mich. — A new chapter of one of the best rivalries in college basketball was written on Sunday afternoon as No. 12 Michigan traveled to No. 14 Michigan State for a Top 15 showdown in East Lansing.
In addition to jockeying for position in the national polls, it was an important game in terms of conference standings as well, with the Spartans currently leading the way in the Big Ten.
After a close battle through the opening ten minutes of play, Michigan State established itself with a strong close to the first half to take a 44-34 lead into the locker room.
The Spartans’ lead ballooned to as many as 16 points in the second half (67-51) with just under 12 minutes to play, but Michigan had a couple small runs to cut their deficit to single digits on a couple occasions. In the end, the Wolverines just didn’t have the firepower to keep pace with MSU, falling by a final score of 87-69.
1. live and die by the 3-pointer
Michigan had no chance in this game if they didn’t shoot well from the perimeter, and the Wolverines were porous in three-point percentage. Michigan was 5-of-23 from deep (22 percent), while the Spartans countered by shooting 7-of-15 from three-point range (47 percent). In their big wins to start the season, the Wolverines shot well from beyond the arc, but a common theme in their losses this season has been poor outside shooting.
2. no offensive answers
With the three-ball not falling for Michigan, MSU was able to clamp down on the interior scoring for the Wolverines as well. That resulted in Michigan in a poor field goal percentage overall as well, 36 percent from the floor. Jon Teske was effective, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but he was limited due to foul trouble. Zavier Simpson scored 14 points, but shot just 6-of-18 from the floor. The ineptitude extended to the free throw line as well, as the Wolverines shot a below average 14-of-22 from the charity stripe.
3. michigan needs livers back
It’s impossible to say whether a healthy Isaiah Livers would have changed the outcome of this game, but it’s reasonable to think his presence would have given the Wolverines a boost. The junior is the second-leading scorer for Michigan, and has played in a lot of big games during his first two seasons in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have fallen to 1-2 in Big Ten play this season, and will need their veteran small forward to remain in the race for a conference title.
4. winston terrorizes wolverines again
Michigan State senior guard Cassius Winston continued to be a thorn in the Wolverines’ side, after leading the Spartans over Michigan in all three meetings last season. On Sunday, the All-American led MSU with a career-high 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and added 9 assists. The Wolverines won’t be able to shut down Winston when the Spartans travel to Ann Arbor on Feb. 8, but they’ll have to do a much better job in limiting his effectiveness in that contest.
5. Second half resolve fades late
Depite the poor shooting, the foul trouble and incredible performances by MSU’s Winston and Xavier Tillman (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks), the Wolverines’ deficit was just single digits with six minutes or so to play. When the deficit blossomed to 16 points midway through the second half, it appeared the Wolverines were about to get run out of the Breslin Center. Michigan showed some resolve to stay within arms reach, but the Spartans pulled away late for the 18-point victory.