Madison, Wis. — With 30 seconds to play on Sunday at the Kohl Center, it looked like Michigan State had done everything it needed to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
The Spartans held a four-point lead over Wisconsin, despite playing without guard Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr., who is out with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and getting called for 28 personal fouls that led to 36 Wisconsin free throws.
But when a team is struggling to find the cohesion it had when it won the first 13 games of the season and became the top-ranked team in the country, it’s the little things that can be critical.