Battling for control of first place in the conference on Sunday, the matchup between in-state rivals Michigan and Michigan State lived up the hype, but provided some surprises in how things played out. In particular, the Wolverines’ normally stout defense struggled to control MSU, despite key injuries on the Spartans’ side. It was Michigan’s offensive decline in the second half though that ultimately marked the turning point in the 77-70 loss.
Less than five minutes after the break, a three-point play by Jordan Poole and a drive and dunk from Ignas Brazdeikis appeared to give the Wolverines all the momentum.