Michigan Basketball wins at Michigan State for first time since 2018

The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines took down the rival No. 7 Michigan State Spartans 83-71 on Friday at the Breslin Center. Michigan led 42-26 at halftime before fighting off a furious comeback attempt to move to 20-1 and 10-1 in Big Ten play.

Here’s how the Wolverines secured their first win in East Lansing since 2018.

FIRST HALF

Michigan got off to a great start — taking a 7-2 lead into the first media timeout after Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau scored buckets around the rim, and Yaxel Lendeborg connected on a three-pointer with 16:43 remaining in the first half.

Following the timeout, Lendeborg grabbed a rebound and found Cadeau for a three-pointer to extend the lead to 10-2. Mara continued to use his size and strength to overpower Michigan State — scoring four straight points to go up 15-5.

Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears scored a layup to trim the deficit to single digits, but Michigan responded on the other end as Trey McKenney knocked down a three-pointer and Morez Johnson Jr. finished a layup to extend the lead to 20-7.

The Spartans cut the deficit to 22-17 midway through the half, but the Wolverines completely dominated the ensuing minutes as Johnson Jr. came up with a block, followed by Mara finding him streaking down the court for a fastbreak dunk.

Later in the half, the referees overturned a foul on Lendeborg because he was held on an offensive rebound attempt. Lendeborg made both free throws, and converted an and-1 on the following possession to extend Michigan’s lead to 34-21.

Just moments later, McKenney continued his impressive performance by making a three-pointer to push the lead to 37-21. The Wolverines went on a 20-7 run in the final minutes of the first half and eventually took a 42-26 lead into the locker room.

Michigan was the superior team in the first half, shooting 5-for-12 from three-point range and committing four turnovers. The Spartans shot an abysmal 7-for-26 from the field and 2-for-12 from beyond the arc while committing 11 turnovers.

HALFTIME: MICHIGAN 42, MICHIGAN STATE 26

SECOND HALF

Michigan State flipped the script in the early stages of the second half, putting together a 9-0 run to quickly get back into the game, 46-41. The Wolverines committed four turnovers in the first four minutes of the half.

With the shot clock running down, McKenney hit a fallaway jumper to quiet the crowd and extend the lead to 48-41. Michigan State had a chance to get within just three points, but Mara had consecutive blocks to keep a 50-45 lead intact.

Lendeborg scored a putback layup and L.J. Cason connected on a three-pointer to put Michigan up 55-50, but the Spartans regained momentum by scoring five straight points, including Jaxon Kohler hitting a game-tying three-pointer with 7:57 left.

Michigan State took the lead, as Fears grabbed a steal and scored a go-ahead layup. Lendeborg made two free throws to tie it again, then Will Tschetter knocked down a three-pointer to regain the lead, 60-59.

The ensuing minutes were controlled by Michigan as Johnson threw down a thunderous dunk and Cadeau hit a jumper and a three-pointer to take a 69-63 lead. Following a timeout, Lendeborg finished a layup to go up 71-65 with 2:32 left.

Michigan continued to seize control as Johnson scored a left-handed layup in traffic to extend the lead to 73-65 with just over a minute to go. The Wolverines made several game-sealing free throws and walked out with a massive road win.

Despite letting a big lead slip away, Dusty May’s team earned a program-defining victory in a difficult environment. Lendeborg led the charge with a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Cadeau compiled 17 points and six assists.

FINAL SCORE: MICHIGAN 83, MICHIGAN STATE 71

MICHIGAN STAT LEADERS