Michigan State senior guard Jaden Akins (3) defends as University of Wisconsin sophomore guard John Blackwell (25) goes for a basket during the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March. 15, 2025. Michigan State lost to Wisconsin 77-74.
Michigan State University basketball's 77-74 loss against Wisconsin was an instant classic.
It never seemed like there was a clear winner until the final whistle blew. When the buzzer neared, MSU’s Jeremy Fears Jr. tried heaving a three-pointer but it was blocked by Wisconsin’s John Tonje, the Badgers’ hero of the game. Much of the arena — and MSU’s bench — groaned in upheaval, assuming the shot was a foul, which would have given Fears Jr. three free throws.
"Somebody told me it was clean, but we lost the game before that, so why should I be mad at them for things we did wrong earlier?" MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo said postgame.
Instead, the final whistle confirmed MSU’s elimination from the Big Ten Tournament. This is the first of 26 games where the Spartans scored 70-plus points and lost.
The teams traded leads early in a tightly contested battle. The Spartans held a narrow lead for 17 minutes, but Wisconsin’s scoring run — nursed by MSU’s poor offense — helped the Badgers get their first lead, 35-33, with just over a minute left.
Tonje led the Badgers in their offense: after not doing much damage in the first 10 minutes, he finished the half with 14 points on 3-for-5 shooting, including two buckets from beyond the arc, and four rebounds. He picked up six free throws, including two near the end of the half when both teams picked up technical fouls.
Tonje finished the game with an astonishing 32 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including four three-pointers and 12 free-throws, seven rebounds and two assists.
MSU’s early offensive efficiency faded fast.
The Spartans opened the game 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and shot nearly 60% from the field. But after taking a 30-25 lead with 5:27 left in the first half, their offense stalled. They missed their final six shots and hit just one of their last nine, allowing Wisconsin to capitalize. By halftime, MSU had shot 4-for-10 from three and 10-for-29 overall while committing six costly turnovers, fueling the Badgers’ comeback.
"They won the game. We could have done some things to give ourselves a better chance, and you can’t make mistakes that cost you," Izzo said. "We just made some mistakes in some key runs, and that was the difference of the game."
At the break, with MSU down 37-33, Jase Richardson and Tre Holloman helped the Spartans the most offensively, combining for 18 points, and five rebounds. Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler combined for nine rebounds.
Kohler’s minutes in the first half were stunted by two early fouls, which proved costly for MSU. Without him, the Spartans lacked cohesion and confidence — plaguing them in Wisconsin’s stretch. Kohler finished the game with seven points and rebounds in 16 minutes.
The game’s turning point came with 15 minutes remaining.
Leading 45-43, MSU lost momentum after Tre Holloman was hit with a technical foul. Wisconsin capitalized with a 9-0 run in just two-and-a-half minutes: two free throws, a Tonje three-pointer, a dunk and a layup off an MSU turnover.
That swing gave Wisconsin a seven-point lead, one they never relinquished.
"The little things win and lose you games. Down the stretch, we didn’t do what we needed to win the game. It was the little things," Fears Jr. said postgame. "That just matters the most, especially around this time. Every possession matters, no matter who you’re playing, you can’t overlook any opponent."
As he has all season, Jase Richardson stepped up.
Though quiet at times, the freshman guard delivered when MSU needed him most, particularly in the final 10 minutes. He finished with 21 points on 50% shooting, knocking down four three-pointers while adding seven rebounds and an assist.
Richardson and MSU’s three-point shooting was not on the same level as Wisconsin’s. The Badgers went 9-for-29 from beyond the arc, different from both their last meeting against MSU, where they went 5-for-32, and Wisconsin’s win over UCLA on Friday, where the Badgers hit 19 three-pointers. Tonje’s three-pointers, along with Carter Gilmore, combined for six three-pointers and had some of the most important shots throughout the 40 minutes. It’s clear that threes have fueled the Badgers, and Saturday was no different.
Shots didn’t fall for the Spartans near the end, having finished with only one made field goal out of its last seven, and didn’t garner any points in three-and-a-half points until Kohler hit a shot with one minute left.
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"We can dwell on the game for right now, but once we leave this arena, we got to move on," Richardson said. "We know March Madness is going to be real difficult. We got to move on and get ready."
Now, MSU turns to Selection Sunday to learn its NCAA Tournament fate.
