Senior center Adreian Payne jumps over Michigan guard Caris Levert to attempt to block a shot Feb. 23, 2014, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Spartans were defeated by the Wolverines, 79-70. Danyelle Morrow/The State News
When it’s rivalry day, it’s time to bring the noise, and Denzel Valentine definitely got that message.
Behind his 11 points on 3-of-3 shooting from behind the arc, the sophomore guard helped MSU jump to a 36-34 lead in front of a frantic Crisler Center crowd.
Besides Valentine, this game has been highlighted by serious runs on both sides of the court.
MSU was the first to strike with a run, piecing together a 7-2 run to take a 11-6 lead. Sophomore guard Gary Harris scored five of his team-high 12 points in that stretch.
The Spartans also built a 11-0 run shortly after off of back-to-back 3-pointers by Valentine. The stretch was capped by Adreian Payne dunking on Zak Irvin while drawing the foul, making it a 22-11 ballgame.
U-M temporarily switched to a zone defense, shutting down MSU’s offense for the middle part of the half.
That allowed the Wolverines to pile up 10 unanswered points, bringing the game to 22-21.
Junior guard Travis Trice snapped the run with a 3-pointer of his own, his lone points of the half, to give MSU a 25-21 lead.
Per usual, bad news struck early for MSU’s frontcourt after sophomore forward Matt Costello committed his second foul with 12:08 on the clock. Senior guard Keith Appling, who got the start, also is in foul trouble with two.
Senior forward Adreian Payne has six points and a game-high six rebounds.
For U-M, Caris LeVert is lighting up the Spartans with 14 points, including a wide-open 3-pointer as time was expiring in the half to bring the game to two points.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
