Rehash&Analysis: Michigan State finishes strong in 73-63 victory over Michigan

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Michigan State’s mettle was tested for a long while on Saturday night at Crisler Center, but the Spartans showed some resiliency, and late-game poise, if not the ability to deliver a knockout blow earlier, in defeating the Wolverines 73-63 before a mixed crowd of green and maize.

Michigan State had to battle back from a 53-47 deficit with 13:13 remaining but ended up outlasting the Wolverines, thanks to 15 Spartan steals. Michigan shot well most of the night, but that was offset by 22 Michigan turnovers, compared to 10 for the Spartans.

“I’m happy with the win,” said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. “I’m not always happy with the way we played. I thought Michigan played well. They made a lot of threes. I didn’t think we were guarding very well, early on.”

But Michigan State played strong defense late in the game.

Michigan State outscored Michigan 10-0 over the last 7:01 with Michigan going 0-for-5 from the field during that stretch with six turnovers.

“It was really good defense, I thought,” Izzo said. “Maybe they thought they missed some shots, I don’t know. The defense led to the offense. We got some breaks. We got some plays. That was good hands on our part.

“This was a big win on the road. Any win on the road against your rival is a big win.”

WHAT IT MEANS

Michigan State improved to 17-9 overall and 9-6 in the Big Ten. The Spartans have won seven of their last nine.

It was Michigan State’s first win in Ann Arbor since 2019 and was the Spartans’ second straight road win.

Michigan fell to 8-17 overall and 3-11 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines’ miserable season showed brief signs of producing a happy night, but eventually Michigan’s losing ways returned to the surface.

The Spartans’ chances of earning a 26th straight NCAA Tournament bid were strengthened. Michigan State returns home for a pair of winnable games against Iowa and Ohio State.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Tyson Walker led Michigan State in scoring with 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting (1-of-5 from three). He added three assists and three rebounds while playing a bevy of first-half minutes at the point guard spot while AJ Hoggard sat due to foul trouble. 

Hoggard scored six points on 2-of-6 shooting, but he added a team-best four assists in 22 minutes played. Jaden Akins scored seven points and shot 3-of-10 from the floor. 

Malik Hall scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting (0-of-1 from three). He added four rebounds and was a steadying influence despite four turnovers. 

“When you look at stats and see fastbreak points 19-2, and bench points 23-2, and points in the paint 40-24 and points off turnovers 27-11, you should have a 20-point win,” Izzo said. “Credit Michigan with that. They did a good job of making plays and we did not make plays. But we ground it. Sometimes you have to grind it. Grind it; ground it, whatever. We did that.”

Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper each grabbed seven rebounds to lead Michigan State. Cooper earned 23 minutes on Tuesday, while Kohler played 13 and Mady Sissoko played just eight as his role has been diminishing in recent games. 

Tarris Reed led Michigan with 15 points and 11 rebounds. He sat with two fouls late in the first half and was an offensive plus for the Wolverines at the outset of each half, but his impact waned as the secod half progressed.

Five Michigan State players finished with at least two fouls. Seven Michigan players finished with at least two fouls, and three finished with at least three fouls. 

Michigan State took advantage of Michigan’s foul trouble by shooting 17-of-21 from the line. Michigan shot 8-of-12 from the line. 

The Spartans shot 43 percent from the field and just 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from three. Michigan, meanwhile, shot 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three. Michigan State finished with 26 points on 22 Wolverine turnovers. Michigan shot well above 40 percent from 3-point range for most of the game before going cold in the last eight minutes.

Michigan State scored 19 fastbreak points to Michigan’s two. The Spartans outscored the Wolverines, 40-24, in the paint. Michigan outrebounded Michigan State, 35-31, though Michigan State grabbed seven offensive rebounds to Michigan’s six.

TURNING POINT

With 5:41 left and Michigan State clinging to a 65-63 lead, Michigan State had missed three straight free throws – the last of which was the front end of a one-and-one by Akins. But Malik Hall hustled to the boards to snare the offensive rebound off of Akins’ miss. Hall was fouled on the put-back. Hall then reversed the short negative free throw trend by making both foul shots, giving Michigan State a 67-63 lead. 

Two possessions later, Hall offered a shot fake from 3-point range and drove for a dunk, making it 69-63 with 4:13 left. 

Michigan’s next possession was thwarted by a Walker steal, leading to an Akins runout and dunk, giving Michigan State a 71-63 lead with 3:35 left and firm control the rest of the way.

Michigan went cold down the stretch and the Spartans owned the defensive glass in the late going. But it was Hall’s huge offensive rebound off a missed free throw which turned an anxiety-filled situation into a Michigan State surge.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Michigan State seemed on the verge of taking control of the game for a second time when the Spartans opened up a 61-56 lead with 8:37 to go when Akins hit a fastbreak 3-pointer. 

Akins’ 3 pointer capped a 14-3 run, which included an alley-oop dunk by Carson Cooper from Walker.

Michigan State regained the lead at 58-56 during that run when Hoggard found Hall on a runout for a two-handed jam, fueled by a Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound. 

But Michigan answered again, tying the game at 61-61 when Nimari Burnett was left all alone on the left wing in transition for a 3-pointer, causing Tom Izzo to go ballistic at his team’s spotty communications and coverages. Izzo said after the game that Akins missed his assignment on that one. Izzo was able to smile about it after the game, but shrugged his shoulders about the continuing attempts to keep Akins focused.

At that point, Michigan was 7 of 17 from 3-point range (41.2 percent) compared to 2-of-11 for Michigan State (18.2 percent). 

BREAKING THE ICE

Michigan State was 0-for-8 from 3-point range before Walker finally hit the Spartans’ first triple of the night when he nailed a trey from the right wing which cut Michigan’s lead to 53-50 with 12:52 to play. That triggered a 14-3 run.

On the next possession, Walker had a steal and was fouled when driving for a lay-up attempt. Walker’s free throws cut the lead to 53-52. 

* Michigan scored a pair of old-fashioned 3-point plays off of give-and-go action from the wing, with Jael Llewellyn beating Walker both times, once for a Llewellyn bucket, once for a Llewellyn drive-and-dish to Tarris Reed, who scored while being fouled. Reed’s free throw gave Michigan a 56-52 lead with 12:23 to play. 

* Michigan began the second half with an 11-4 run, with sophomore Reed muscle-driving for a pair of misses, and then hitting put-backs on his own misses. When Dug McDaniel got free from Walker to hit a 3-pointer to give Michigan a 42-41 lead with 18:23 left, Izzo gave a long palms-up gesture toward Walker, asking where his defense was. Walker claimed a teammate missed a communication. 

THE FIRST HALF

Michigan State went on a 19-6 run, beginning with 13:38 left in the first half, to take a 31-22 lead. Walker began the run with a 17-footer off the dribble. Coen Carr provided six of the 19 points during the run, and the loudest moments. 

Carr’s first bucket was a fluke. When he flashed to the midpost, he was fouled, and the ball was deflected up and into the basket. His ensuing free throw gave Michigan State its first lead of the game at 19-18. 

Moments later, a Mady Sissoko steal led to a Carr breakout. But Carr was fouled by Michigan’s Will Tschetter as he soared in for a dunk attempt. After review, the foul was ruled a flagrant one. Carr made one of the two free throws, and Michigan State didn’t score on its ensuing possession, so Tschetter’s borderline dirty foul paid off.

After a Akins driving lay-up, a Tre Holloman driving lay-up and a Jaxon Kohler old fashioned 3-point play on a put-back, and a Hall 15-footer, Carr was back at it. This time, Carr broke loose after his own steal and went in for a flying one-handed power jam. That gave Michigan State its biggest lead of the first half at 31-22, brought Spartan fans to their loudest of the night and caused Michigan coach Juwan Howard to call time out. A loud “Go Green! Go White!” cheer drowned out the choreographed time out festivities which followed. 

However, Michigan answered with a 15-4 run to take a 37-34 lead, causing Izzo to use his second time out of the first half with 1:18. It’s an extreme rarity to see Izzo use two time outs in the first half, especially in a game in which Michigan State isn’t getting blown out. But he spent it in order to put some heat on defenders who were tardy on close-outs. 

Michigan shot 51.9 percent in the first half, including 5-of-13 from 3-point range. Michigan State shot just 42.4 percent in the first half and was 0-for-5 from 3-point range. 

However, Michigan State was aided by nine steals which led to a 13-0 edge in fastbreak points in the first half. 

Walker played 19 minutes in the first half, due to foul trouble for Akins and Hoggard. 

Michigan State played the last 5:09 of the first half with Hoggard and Akins on the bench with two fouls. Holloman picked up his second foul on a Dug McDaniel drive with more than two minutes left in the first half but Michigan State rode out all but the last :24 seconds of the half with Holloman on the court.

Holloman hit two free throws with :24 seconds left to tie the game at 37-37, then walk-on Davis Smith entered the game to protect Holloman. 

A steal by Carr in the final seconds of the half led to a loose ball scramble and Smith being fouled with less than :01 second left in the half. Smith hit two free throws to give Michigan State a 39-37 lead at the break.

Michigan began the game 4-of-4 from the field and 6-of-8, building leads of 10-6 and 14-10. 

Michigan led 14-12 when Hoggard was called for his second foul, with 14:19 remaining in the first half.