The Spartans delivered in the final minutes of a character-testing game, toppling No. 11 Wisconsin with a 13-5 run over the last 6:57.

Michigan State remained tied with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings entering the final week of the regular season.

"We're in a groove right now and the season's not over," junior forward Jaxon Kohler said after recording a double-double and career-high 16 rebounds. "When everything is over, then we can look back and appreciate what we accomplished."

The Spartans rode a 14-point first-half surge from senior guard Jaden Akins, who finished with a game-high 19 points on 4-for-9 shooting from deep. Freshman guard Jase Richardson added 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds in 20 minutes despite battling foul trouble for most of the first half.

Kohler’s 16 rebounds and ten points gave the Spartans the inside presence they needed against Wisconsin’s experienced, lengthy frontcourt. 

“(Kohler’s) got good hands,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “He just has a nose for the ball. He’s like a great linebacker.”

Akins held Big Ten Player of the Year candidate John Tonje, a Missouri transfer averaging 19.5 points per game, to just 3-for-13 shooting from the field, 1-for-8 from three.

The Spartans remained in control of their path to their first Big Ten title in five years with two regular season games left — at Iowa and home against Michigan.

MSU heads to Iowa City for its final road test of the season, facing the Hawkeyes for the first time this year. Iowa (15-14, 6-12) has been inconsistent but remains dangerous at home, boasting the Big Ten’s third-highest scoring offense at 82.2 points per game.

Tip-off between MSU and Iowa is set for 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. FS1 will broadcast the game.

After Iowa, all eyes turn to MSU’s rematch with Michigan at Breslin Center on March 9 — the final day of the regular season and a potential conference title decider.

Akins’ breakout

Izzo spoke it into existence on his pregame radio show: “When (Akins) starts shooting well, we’re gonna be a different team."

The Spartans were that in the first half Sunday as Akins lifted them from an early hole, exploding for three triples and 11 points in less than two minutes to lead MSU’s 15-4 run spanning over three minutes to give it a 19-17 lead. 

A 42.2% three-point shooter his sophomore year, Akins’ measly 28.4% mark from deep as a senior has defined MSU’s overall three-point woes this season. The Spartans shot 19 triples in the first half Sunday afternoon despite being one of the worst teams in Division I from behind the arc. 

Richardson, who’s emerged as MSU’s go-to-scorer over the last two weeks, buried the first. But the freshman picked up two early fouls and was sidelined for the remainder of the half. It would be Akins who rose to the occasion. With MSU trailing 13-4 after the opening minutes, sophomore forward Coen Carr gave Breslin Center a much-needed jolt of energy, turning a transition lob from junior guard Tre Holloman into a behind-his-head dunk. 

Akins made his run from there, making four out of eight attempts from deep. He led all scorers at halftime as MSU trailed 34-32. 

March basketball

The final ten minutes played out like a late-round NCAA Tournament game — two evenly matched teams trading blows with everything on the line.

Missing starting guard Max Klesmit due to a lower-body injury, the Badgers were already at a disadvantage, especially on the road in front of a raucous Izzone. Still, Wisconsin made MSU earn everything down the stretch.

Every point, rebound, turnover and loose ball mattered, and each of Kohler’s seven offensive boards carried tremendous weight as the Spartans put another stamp into the book of late-game composure. Wisconsin made just one of its last seven attempts from the field, becoming another victim of a vicious Spartan defense closing games as of late. 

“I think it says a lot about your team that you can bear down in those last five minutes and just take a stranglehold defensively,” Izzo said.

MSU built a wall on defense and prevented Tonje from getting downhill, where he’s at his best. The Badgers’ attack suffered without their physical, all-around scorer at 6-foot-6. 

The Spartans contained Tonje and Blackwell without sending too much help. They’ll see similar, if not more talented, tandems as the postseason ensues. Sunday was more proof that MSU has what it takes to limit star power on the other end, something it’ll need in spades to reach its goals in March.