Michigan State digs first half hole it can't escape in 83-71 loss to Michigan

Despite it being head coach Tom Izzo's 71st birthday, No. 7 Michigan State couldn't deliver its head coach a win over No. 3 Michigan at the Breslin Center Friday night. The Spartans fell to the Wolverines 83-71. The loss snaps a four-game win streak for MSU in the series and was UM's first win in East Lansing since January 2018.

MSU drops to 19-3 on the season overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play. UM improves to 20-1 overall and 10-1 in league play. The teams will meet again in Ann Arbor on March 8 to end the regular season.

Jeremy Fears Jr. led all scorers with 31 points alongside seven assists and four steals. Jaxon Kohler added 12 points while Coen Carr and Jordan Scott scored 10 apiece. Carr led MSU in rebounds with seven.

Yaxel Lendeborg led the Wolverines with 26 points, notching a double-double alongside 12 rebounds. Elliott Cadeau added 17 points alongside six assists, Morez Johnson Jr. scored 12, and Trey McKenney added 10 points for UM players in double figures scoring.

First Half

The Spartans got off to a slow start on offense, going almost three minutes without a score after Cooper had an alley-oop off a pick and roll. The Wolverines were able to push the advantage as a result, opening a 7-2 lead by the first media break with 15:48 left in the half.

Carr also had an impressive block to help keep the score to just seven for UM during that stretch.

Shooting woes remained the story for the Spartans, making just one of their 11 shot attempts by the second media break. MSU trailed 15-5 with 11:34 remaining until halftime and then 20-10 with 7:44 left. MSU was just 1-for-8 from 3-point range with Fears 0-for-3. As a team, the Spartans were hitting just 22% from the field with seven turnovers.

By the final media timeout, MSU had found its groove offensively. McCullouch hit a pair of free throws before Fears drew a foul from Mara, his second that sent him to the bench, getting a 1-and-1 and hitting both. That brought the Spartans within five before a Wolverine trey made it 27-19 with 3:54 remaining until halftime. UM ended the half on an 18-7 run, helped in part by a disastrous sequence, up 42-26 at the half.

Second Half

The Spartans got the second half started with a bang as Carr scored on back-to-back possessions that included another highlight dunk and MSU opened with a 6-0 run capped off by a pair of free throws from Fears.

The Spartans extended that into a 14-4 run overall that pulled the score within five by the first media break, trailing 46-41 with 15:07 remaining. MSU kept the pressure on, mounting a 9-0 run shortly after and by the 10:42 mark trailed just 52-50.

Just a few minutes later, Kohler tied it up at 55 with under eight minutes to go.

A Fears layup to give MSU a two-point lead would prove the high-water mark for the Spartans in this one, though. Scott did the same with 6:55 left after UM's Lendeborg tied it up on a pair of free throws to give the Spartans a 59-57 advantage. From there the Wolverines regained control and never relinquished it again. Scott would later foul out while a technical foul was assessed against Izzo when he took issue with poor officiating in the game. Final score would be decided by a late second-chance layup from Fears with just 11 seconds left.

MSU returns to the road next with a game on Wednesday at Minnesota. Tip is set for 7 p.m. Eastern Time on the Big Ten Network.