With the Big Ten title already in hand, MSU (26-5, 17-3 Big Ten) ensured its final act at Breslin Center was a resounding one. The Spartans overwhelmed Michigan from the start, never looking back.

On a day filled with celebration — Senior Day, a rivalry showdown and a banner-raising to come — MSU played with the same edge that propelled them atop the Big Ten in the season’s final weeks.

“Beating your rival is important. Keeping your strength of winning is important,” MSU head coach Izzo said postgame. “But playing better is the most important. You want to play better at this time of year. And I thought we really did for probably 30 of the 40 minutes.”

Junior guard Tre Holloman led MSU’s offensive charge with 20 points, while freshman Jase Richardson added 18. Senior Jaden Akins also contributed 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in his final game at Breslin Center. Despite Michigan’s seven-foot duo of Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin combining for 47 points and 19 rebounds, the Wolverines couldn’t find an answer.

MSU’s 17 conference wins mark the most in a season in program history. The Big Ten moved to a 20-game schedule in 2018-19.

MSU kept its momentum rolling in March and now sets its sights on tournament basketball. The Spartans enter the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed, securing a double-bye and opening their postseason run in the quarterfinals.

MSU will face the winner of No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oregon at noon on Friday, March 14, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  

Beyond the Big Ten Tournament, MSU is projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a chance to climb higher depending on its performance in Indianapolis. The Spartans have already built a strong 12-4 record in Quad 1 games, a top-5 national defense by KenPom and a resume stacked with wins over the Big Ten’s best in February and March. 

Selection Sunday on March 16 will determine MSU’s official seed, but for now, it’s off to Indy.

“I still think we got a ceiling to get to,” Izzo said.

No title on the line? No problem. 

Sunday’s matchup may not have decided the Big Ten title as once expected, but you wouldn’t have known it from the atmosphere inside Breslin Center. 

MSU students returning from spring break and fans filled the arena, smothering Michigan’s confidence from the outset with a relentless energy that felt different from other marquee games this season — just three days after MSU clinched the Big Ten championship outright with a 91-84 win at Iowa.

The Wolverines, carrying the Big Ten’s worst turnover percentage, gave the ball away four times in the opening minutes, leading to MSU’s first eight points. Akins was the first Spartan to answer the call on Senior Day, draining two threes off Michigan turnovers. He went on to hit three of his first five shots from beyond the arc, a welcome sign for the three-year starter who has had ups and downs with his shooting throughout his MSU career.

Michigan couldn’t correct its offensive sloppiness, committing seven turnovers in the first eight minutes. A 20-6 MSU lead invigorated the Spartans — perhaps too much — as they missed quick-trigger threes in rapid succession. MSU put up twice as many shots as Michigan through the first eight minutes, with 11 of 16 attempts coming from beyond the arc.

As Richardson and Holloman nailed back-to-back threes to push MSU’s lead to 33-15, its largest of the afternoon, it was clear Michigan would need a spirited second-half showing to even challenge the Spartans on a day of coronation at Breslin Center. Two MSU dunks and a Holloman three stretched the lead to 50-26, sending the Izzone into a frenzy.

“If we start shooting the ball well, we could be a really, really good team because we do the others really well at a high level,” Izzo said.

The Spartans forced 11 turnovers in the first half while committing just two. They put up 12 more shots than Michigan, assisting on 13 of 16 made baskets.

Déjà vu

Richardson and Holloman lifted MSU to its 75-62 win in Ann Arbor 16 days prior, and Sunday was a similar story.

The Spartans went through a five-minute scoring drought as Michigan mounted a 14-0 run and drew back within 11 points. Richardson ended that run with a corner three, settling the Spartans as they fended off 15 second-half points from Goldin and Wolf.

Richardson and Holloman alternated in delivering the crucial buckets MSU needed as Michigan made its comeback bid. Holloman made four of five shots, including a three, in the second half while consistently running MSU’s offense.

It was the freshman and Minnesota native who made the biggest impact in MSU’s two matchups with their bitter rival in the final stretch of the regular season.