Ann Arbor - A shorthanded Michigan basketball team felt the best way to beat No. 13 MSU was to slow down the pace, hold the ball and hope that the Spartans were thrown off their game.

After all, the strategy worked against No. 1 Illinois.

U-M held Illinois to 43.8 percent from the field and was within four points with 15 seconds left. The Wolverines couldn't finish but held the Illini to their lowest scoring total, 57-51.

"They played Illinois to the bone," MSU sophomore guard Shannon Brown said. "We knew there was going to be a fight coming in, and we just had to take it to them."

Brown and the Spartans watched that game on film and had time to prepare. And the only offensive attack U-M seemed to slow down was its own. Although the Spartans started the game with three dunks and a layup, the Wolverines held the ball, not getting shots off until the shot clock was ticking down.

"We didn't really know how they wanted to play coming in," MSU senior guard Kelvin Torbert said. "We didn't know if they were gonna run or slow it down."

U-M's first three possessions resulted in two MSU steals and two free throws by U-M forward Ron Coleman.

The Spartans outworked the Wolverines on the fast break, getting easy baskets.

Meanwhile, U-M held the ball, not getting into its offense until at least 10 seconds were left on the shot clock.

The result was junior guard Dion Harris creating many of his own shots and allowing the Spartans to collapse on the Wolverines' big men.

But MSU still pushed the ball and got easy baskets in transition.

"That is one of the things we didn't do very well," U-M head coach Tommy Amaker said. "I think that was the difference in the first half, their ability to get out and score easy buckets."

MSU built an 18-point lead in the second half and had a 4:15 scoring lapse in the end of the game.

"Early on, our break got going and that helped us, and they were trapping ? and there are some open looks we got," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said.