BSportsMonday

Michigan State outlasts 

Michigan with 10-0 

overtime spurt at Breslin

By LEV FACHER

Managing Editor

EAST LANSING — Last year, it was 

Derrick Walton Jr., then a freshman, who 
rose to the occasion for the Michigan men’s 
basketball team at Breslin Center, leading 
the Wolverines to an 80-75 victory on 
January 25, 2014. This year, with Walton 
on crutches and confined to the bench, it 
was another freshman guard who took the 
reigns in an attempt to will Michigan to 
victory: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman.

But 
Abdur-Rahkman’s 
career 
day 

wasn’t enough to get the job done for the 
injury-plagued Wolverines, who dropped 
a 76-66 decision in overtime, falling to 6-4 
in the Big Ten and 13-9 overall.

Making just his third career start, 

Abdur-Rahkman scored 18 points on 8-for-
13 shooting from the field, easily eclipsing 
his previous career high of nine.

“I think you’re seeing that great growth 

from Muhammad right now,” Beilein said.

Beilein added that he “saw a little bit 

in video when we recruited him,” though 
Abdur-Rahkman was added to Michigan’s 
recruiting class too late for the coaching 
staff to witness his in-game abilities in 
person.

“I think we’re starting to see it,” Beilein 

said. “You saw it in the month of January, 
now let’s hope it continues in the month of 
February.”

Junior guard Spike Albrecht also scored 

18 points, while sophomore forward 
Zak Irvin added 11 on 5-for-14 shooting, 
converting only one of his six attempts 
from 3-point range.

But while Michigan State (5-3, 14-7) 

scored 10 points in the overtime period, 
the Wolverines couldn’t score at all. The 
final score of 76-66 belied the game’s 
back-and-forth nature, a trend that 
disappeared quickly once the first 40 
minutes were up.

The 
Wolverines 
stayed 
in 
the 

game throughout despite being easily 
outmuscled on the glass — the Spartans 

pulled down 43 
team rebounds 
to Michigan’s 29, 
including a 13-7 
disparity on the 
offensive end.

Michigan 
State 

shot 
just 
6-for-11 

from the free-throw 
line in the half, but 
their presence on the 
offensive glass allowed 
them to enter the locker 
room with a halftime lead. 
The 
Spartans 
recorded 

26 team rebounds in the 
frame, 10 of which came on 
the offensive end.

Michigan jumped out to 

an early 8-3 lead on the back 
of four points from Abdur-
Rahkman, who converted on all 
three of his first-half field-goal 
attempts. But Michigan State 
quickly muscled their way back into 
the game, thanks in large part to 14 
first-half points from junior guard 
Denzel 
Valentine. 
A 
thunderous 

finish by Branden Dawson on an alley-
oop lob from Valentine punctuated the 
comeback and gave the Spartans a 20-19 
lead.

“I was really impressed today with 

Valentine,” said Michigan coach John 
Beilein. “No matter what we threw at him 
… he sees the floor well, he rebounds well, 
he shot the ball well.”

Valentine finished with 25 points, seven 

rebounds and seven assists, including 
another lob to Dawson to tie the game at 
61 in the final minutes of the second half.

“I thought (Valentine) really stood out, 

in that he was able to just pick us apart 
with different things we did, one-on-one, 
zones, everything,” Beilein said. “So when 
you have a tall guy that can really see like 
that and can shoot, it really makes your 
team go.

“I didn’t like his game, but I’ve got to 

respect his game a ton today.”

Despite Valentine’s continued efforts, 

Michigan found momentum early in 
the second half, beginning with a well 
executed, 
back-and-forth 
fast 
break 

between Abdur-Rahkman and freshman 

guard Aubrey Dawkins.

After a Dawkins layup in Michigan’s 

ensuing offensive sequence, Irvin stole 
the ball along the right flank and found 
himself with enough open space to attempt 
a thunderous one-handed jam and give 
Michigan a 34-33 lead.

The momentum shifted back and forth 

throughout the half, with the Spartans 
eventually gaining a four-point lead in the 
game’s final minute before a heroic tip-in 
from Max Bielfeldt tied the game at 66.

Though the Wolverines forced an extra 

five minutes, they simply couldn’t muster 
any additional productivity beyond the 
two regulation periods.

“We probably panicked when we got 

down by six,” Beilein said. “We took an 
ill-advised 3. Your jump shot shouldn’t get 
blocked. You should shot fake and go to the 
basket. Those types of things changed the 

E

AST LANSING — 
Michigan State forward 
Denzel Valentine waved 

his arms to 
pump up the 
Breslin Center 
crowd, then 
he fired some 
words toward 
the Michigan 
men’s 
basketball 
team’s bench. 
Aubrey 
Dawkins rolled 
his eyes.

The freshman guard had 

been in the in-state rivalry game 
for less than a half, and he was 
already fed up.

On the road, in likely the 

loudest atmosphere of the season 
so far, Michigan didn’t flinch for 
40 minutes.

Then, with 3:59 left in overtime, 

junior guard Spike Albrecht found 
himself all alone at the top of the 
key, but his potential go-ahead 
3-pointer rimmed out. Michigan 
drew up the play perfectly, as it 
had several times before, and got 
everything but the finish.

Albrecht muttered something 

and backpedaled down the court, 
and the Wolverines never scored 
again, losing in overtime, 76-66.

Sunday morning, they trudged 

through the snowy weather, sent 
an undermanned team against 
Michigan State and withstood 
everything the crowd had to offer.

And they did everything but 

finish.

* * *

L

ate in the first half, just 
after Valentine shouted 
at the Michigan bench, 

the Spartans started to pull away 
for the first — and, really, only — 
time. Valentine knocked down 
a 3-pointer in the final minute, 
and there was the slightest sign 
of a smirk on Michigan coach 
John Beilein’s face as he hit it. 
Perhaps it was out of frustration 
or dejection, but perhaps it was 
because he had the Spartans right 
where he wanted them.

Seconds later, Valentine hit 

another, giving Michigan State 
its largest lead of regulation. But 
even then, the Michigan coach 
had confidence in his team. Even 
then, as the crowd noise notched 
up and Michigan State could 
have taken advantage, he knew 
there was a lot of basketball left. 
Even then, he knew the Spartans 
couldn’t keep up their 3-point 
shooting.

The last points of the first half 

were Albrecht hitting a pair of 
free throws as the crowd chanted 
“Just-in Bie-ber!” at him. The 
Wolverines pulled within five 
after a lackluster first half, and 
they weren’t going away.

At halftime, it seemed 

Michigan had played as well as it 
could have played. It mustered up 
some offense, and though it was 
beaten on the glass, it played well 
defensively.

But in the second half, 

somehow the Wolverines 
played even better. They started 
building a lead, to the disbelief 
of the crowd. Albrecht drove 

SNOW 
CLOSE

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | February 2, 2015

ICE COLD

n The Michigan hockey team 
cooled off and lost to Michigan 
State, 2-1. Page 4B

SALES PITCH

n Just two days remain 
until National Signing Day. 
SportsMonday Column, Page 2B

JAKE
LOURIM

Everything but 

the finish

See MICHIGAN, Page 2B
See STATE, Page 2B

Michigan State 76, 
Michigan 66 (OT)

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

