“You try not to play (differently) or look at it like that, but let’s face it — some games are like that,” he said. “And this was one of those games.”

In the second half, Breslin Center absolutely lit up after a fast-break slam by Gray. The 6-foot-8 forward, who had been struggling to find his niche the entire game, said those types of plays truly get his — and his team’s — blood pumping.

MSU head coach Tom Izzo said Gray definitely needed that, but he doesn’t want his emotions to get the best of him.

“He pulled me to the side and told me to settle down,” Gray said. “He wanted me to play with class. I don’t do that stuff on purpose — that’s just the kind of player I am.”

But at the end of the day, Izzo said what matters is that his team won, and is creeping forward and improving.

“Any time you beat your rival, it’s a big win,” Izzo said. “All your fans and alums get to feel good about it for a year.”

Even U-M’s head coach John Beilein said in his first year being a part of the rivalry, he can already feel how emotional it is.

“I’ve been around awhile, so there are always these rivalries, but I don’t think there’s one that’s better than this,” he said. “It was great. The students are so involved — there’s intensity on both teams.”

Brothers and sisters

Late in the game, the words “little sister” echoed off Breslin Center’s walls in reference to U-M football running back Mike Hart’s words about MSU when he called the school a “little brother” to U-M.

“It was funny,” senior guard Drew Neitzel said with a smile. “I don’t get involved with that too much – the students soak that up more than we do. The fans were great today, they really sparked us and brought that energy that we needed.”

Neitzel said he grew up knowing all about the rivalry between the two schools.

“People are always talking trash,” he said. “We just wanted to hold up our end and get a win.”

Keeping ‘em contained

Izzo described his team’s defensive effort on U-M’s star players Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims as “the Michael Jordan treatment.”

“That’s what we do with great players that have the ability to shoot the three and put it on the floor,” he said. “Some guys can just shoot and some guys can just dribble. Those two guys can do both.”

Harris, who averages 16.4 points, was held to just 11 while Sims only put down six of his normal 13.6 points.

Izzo gave kudos to not only junior guard Travis Walton because of his defense on Harris — but his assistant coaches, managers and video crew as well.

“It was a program win from the preparation standpoint, and I just thought our auxiliary people did an incredible job,” Izzo said.