When push comes to shove, Michigan State basketball has shown guts once again. This weekend, the Spartans will claim the Number One spot in Big Ten contention.
Tre Holloman lit the final fire for another comeback, knocking down three in a row in the second period, adding up to 11 of his 18 points after halftime. Jase Richardson also had a brilliant evening, contributing 21 points toward the No. 13 MSU’s score, solidifying his third game scoring over 20 points this season.
MSU, on a winning streak of three, outscored no.12 Michigan 75-62 on Friday night at Crisler Center. After trailing by as much as eight points in the first half, the Spartans roared back after halftime, shooting an impressive 53.3% in the second half.
They capped off their victory with a stunning 9-0 run during the final four minutes of the game, sealing their third straight and fourth win in five attempts.
This victory puts MSU (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) a half-game ahead of the Wolverines (20-6, 12-3) in the conference standings. It marks the first home loss for Michigan this season only hours after U-M announced the extension of first-year coach Dusty May.
As the time ticked away in a hard-fought battle, “Go Green, Go White” echoed inside the arena, celebrating MSU’s victory and bringing Tom Izzo’s record against the Wolverines to 35-21 overall.
Jeremy Fears Jr. made an impressive mark on the contest, scoring eight of his 10 in the second-half period, including a couple in the Spartans’ six 3-pointers for the period.
Jaden Akins had 11 for MSU and helped keep Michigan star Danny Wolf to 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting even though he tallied eight assists and seven rebounds. Vladislav Goldin led the Wolverines with 21 points and five rebounds but committed four of their 15 turnovers.