brother
OH,
OH,
EMMA MATI/Daily
Michigan blows opportunity to in-
state rival, loses nail-biter at MSU
E
AST
LANSING
—
Michigan
State’s
disdain
for
the
Michigan men’s basketball
team
radiated
through
Breslin Center. Showers of
boos greeted the Wolverines
when they took the floor, and
ecstasy filled the air when
they left it. Michigan’s recent
struggles in East Lansing,
paired with the downright
hostility
of
the
Spartan
crowd, made walking out
with a win seem increasingly
improbable.
And after its second half
comeback fell short, that
improbability finally turned
into
an
impossibility
as
Michigan (9-6 overall, 3-1 Big
Ten) fell to Michigan State
(11-4, 3-1), 59-53.
“It was a typical rivalry
game
where
both
teams
are battling and trying to
win
a
game,”
Michigan
coach Juwan Howard said.
“Fortunately for them, they
were playing on their home
floor for their home fans. It
was a great atmosphere and
an
extremely
competitive
game.”
In a grueling first half, both
sides struggled to separate
themselves from the other.
Whether it was the nerves
that accompany a game of this
caliber or the uber-energetic
defenses, quality shots were
rare occurrences early in the
game. Junior center Hunter
Dickinson — the focal point
of the Wolverine offense —
exemplified
the
offensive
struggles, scoring just four
points in the first half.
In
the
midst
of
the
defensive
battle,
though,
Spartan forward Malik Hall
started to find his groove by
the end of the half. Tied at
14 apiece with 4:32 left in the
half, Hall scored five straight
points, sending the Izzone
into a frenzy and forcing
Michigan to burn a timeout.
Hall continued to leave his
fingerprints
on
the
half,
notching a pair of free throws
directly before the break to
give the Spartans a 27-18 lead.
“We don’t win that game
without
Malik,”
Michigan
State coach Tom Izzo said. “…
I mean, I told you he’s maybe
my most versatile player.
He does so many things. He
keeps the other guys calm,
and he can drive and he can
make some plays.”
Coming out of the break,
Michigan State continued to
expand its lead. In the first
three
possessions,
quick
buckets by the Spartans and
a shot clock violation against
the
Wolverines
suddenly
ballooned Michigan State’s
lead to 14. And yet again,
Michigan found itself calling
a timeout to stifle momentum.
But slowly, the Wolverines
began to claw their way
back. Timely buckets from
Dickinson and freshman wing
Jett Howard kept Michigan
in the game throughout the
majority of the second half.
Down the stretch, that ability
to avoid a blowout turned into
the threat of a comeback.
“Second half, we made a
run,” Juwan said. “We started
attacking the paint. We didn’t
settle for a lot of these threes
and jumpers and things like
that.”
That
paint
attack
went
primarily
through
Dickinson.
Bouncing
back
from his subpar first-half
performance, Dickinson went
for 14 — while shooting 6-for-
10 from the field — in the
second to finish with a game-
high 18 points.
Any time the Wolverines
got close, though, Michigan
State had an answer. After a
Dickinson free throw cut the
Spartan lead to five, forward
Joey
Hauser
snagged
an
offensive rebound on the next
possession before putting it
back up and in with 1:47 left
to play — forcing yet another
Wolverine timeout.
“When you’re trying to get
back in the game, you can’t
afford to make any mistakes,”
Dickinson said. “We just had a
couple too many.”
Those
mistakes
showed
up defensively as the back-
and-forth
play
continued
all the way up to the final
buzzer.
Sophomore
guard
Kobe
Bufkin
came
alive,
showcasing his ability to get
to the line while scoring six
points in the final 1:30. But
Michigan couldn’t get stops
on the other end. Michigan
State
was
undeterred
by
Bufkin’s late surge and always
had an answer — protecting
its lead in the process.
And as time expired, the
Wolverines walked off the
Breslin Center floor in a
manner that’s becoming all
too familiar for them in East
Lansing:
With their heads down and
the deafening sea of green and
white celebrating yet another
win over their in-state rivals.
JACK GLANVILLE
Daily Sports Editor
MICHIGAN STATE 59 | MICHIGAN 53
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