EAST LANSING– Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 55-all with eight minutes remaining. That shot had lifted the Spartans out of a 16-point halftime deficit. However, the activity of No. 3 Michigan on the offensive glass and timely shots helped close down the stretch for a hard-fought 83-71 win on the road.
“Saying I’m disappointed would be an understatement. I did not like the way we played,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said in his opening statement.
After a 29-point performance against Rutgers, MSU guard Jeremy Fears Jr. topped his career-high with 31 points in the loss.
As impactful as Fears Jr. was for the Spartans, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg matched him. The Wolverines’ leading scorer got to his spot anytime he needed to, putting forward a 26-point double-double.
The Spartans’ forwards were shut down by the Wolverines, Jaxon Kohler was 4-for-13 from the field and Carson Cooper was held to two rebounds.
Even though the Izzone line was delayed due to freezing weather, they still brought the heat, and most of it was directed at Wolverines head coach Dusty May during pregame warmups.
“There’s no way I’m ducking and running from the smoke, this stuff doesn’t bother me so I just let them get all their frustration and animosity out early,” May said.
The crowd was restless after the Spartans didn’t give them much to cheer about, as Michigan got out to a 15-5 lead.
Freshman Jordan Scott was a difference maker off the bench for the Spartans, who needed a spark after the slow start. Scott has spent most of his season scoring on the perimeter, but against Michigan, Scott made a few aggressive drives when the Spartans needed it most.
With the season-long ‘QB battle’ at the two-guard position, expect Scott to have a larger role going forward, with even a chance to enter the starting lineup.
Spartans forward Coen Carr beat the buzzer to end the first half with a dunk, which cut the deficit to 16 points.
Izzo told his squad to chip away at the Wolverines lead and try to get the deficit to 10 points at the 12-minute mark. Well, the Spartans came out hot in the second half, and were down single digits with 18 minutes to go and cut the deficit to five points by the under-12 timeout.
Izzo has referred to his squad having a small margin of error; on the other side, Michigan might have the largest margin of error in the country. After letting the Spartans back in the game in one of the toughest atmospheres in college basketball, the Wolverines reset and outclassed the Spartans in crunch time.
The Wolverines were able to limit the Spartans and take away what they do best.
“We didn’t rebound, we didn’t run and we didn’t move the ball very well,” Izzo said.
With a three-point lead, Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau drilled a three-pointer to go up six points with 3:08 remaining. That shot would be a dagger for the Spartans’ comeback attempt.
Michigan broke a seven-game losing streak at the Breslin Center and May won his first game over the in-state rivals.
The Spartans have bounced back with a sizable win streak after each loss this season, and get back on the road to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday, February 4, at 7 p.m.
