It was a tale of two halves for the Spartans on Saturday as Michigan State used a huge second half to dominate rival Michigan, 83-67, from the Breslin Center.
The Spartans held a narrow lead at halftime but came out firing in the second half to pick up the big-time rivalry win over the Wolverines.
Michigan State led at the break, holding a 39-35 advantage over Michigan. It was tight for the entire first half, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead during the frame.
Things were much different in the second half with the Spartans overwhelming the Wolverines early into the half. Michigan State opened the half on a 14-3 run to build a double-digit lead they would never surrender. The Spartans would lead by as many as 20 points in the second half.
It was a complete team effort for Michigan State in Saturday’s win, with four players finishing in double digits in points. That included Max Christie (16 points), Malik Hall (15 points), Joey Hauser (14 points) and AJ Hoggard (11 points). Hoggard also finished with 10 assists to record a double-double.
Overall, Michigan State shot lights out as well, finishing the game 55.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.
With Saturday’s win, Michigan State is now 16-4 on the season and 7-2 in Big Ten play. The victory moved the Spartans back into a tie for first place in the Big Ten.
Michigan State returns to the floor on Tuesday in a road matchup against Maryland. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be seen on ESPN2.
