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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Coming off a disappointing 61-58 loss to rival Ohio State on Tuesday, Michigan looks to get back on track as it hosts in-state rival Michigan State.
The Spartans (15-7 overall, 8-4 overall) enter the contest tied for second in the Big Ten, while the Wolverines (13-9, 4-7) currently sit near the bottom of the standings at 12th.
Both clubs struggled offensively early, but Michigan was able to take an early 9-3 lead due to its work on the offensive glass.
The Wolverines maintained that point-spread for the remainder of a rugged first half to take a 29-23 lead into the locker room.
POSITIVES:
– The Wolverines clearly entered this game with something to prove, and it showed in the energy of their play. Michigan battled for loose balls, grabbed multiple offensive rebounds and generally seemed to outwork the Spartans.
– Despite not shooting the ball well overall, the Wolverines were able to take a lead into the half due to a better-than-expected shooting performance from behind the 3-point line. Michigan hit 7-of-16 attempts from deep.
NEGATIVES:
– Michigan turned the ball over more often then you’d like to see, and it led to some easy baskets for MSU. The Wolverines need to operate a little more cleanly in the second half to pull off the upset.
– Michigan has some scoring chances around the basket that went unconverted, and as a whole the team’s shooting percentage sits in the low-30s. It’ll be tough to knock off a Top 20 opponent if the Wolverines don’t improve around the basket.