EAST LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Although the result of the University of Michigan vs. Michigan State game didn’t matter in the Big Ten, the rivalry was enough to make it special on senior day for the Spartans.
Sure, wins for seeding in the NCAA Tournament for both teams was in play. While that does matter, the true hate these teams have for each other was enough to pack the Breslin Center and make this one worth a little more.
Michigan State University didn’t disappoint the home crowd. In fact, they just ignited them time and time again.
The Spartans defeated Michigan in convincing fashion, 79-62, won their seventh game in a row and beat the Wolverines for a fifth straight game. The win built momentum going into the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.
“I never want to leave this place,” Spartans head coach Tom Izzo said. “Every place has good and bad things, we’ve had our share of bad things. But I’m glad I stuck around for this turnaround, not just athletics but as a whole.”
Michigan continued to have more of the same problems that have hurt them all season: turnovers and rebounding.
To open the game, the Wolverines had five turnovers in their first five possessions. It allowed the Spartans to get out to an 8-3 lead and gain confidence from the jump.
It only ballooned from there, with a 20-6 run for the Spartans heading into the second media timeout. Jaden Akins hit three 3-pointers during that stretch, while Tre Holloman added one triple to help build their advantage.
MSU outrebounded Michigan 6-3 on the offensive glass and scored 18 points off of Michigan’s turnovers to 0 for Michigan at the break. They led by a whopping 50-28 at halftime, the most points MSU has scored in the first half all season.
Michigan’s sudden struggles from beyond the 3-point line also proved to hurt them, going 3-of-24 from deep while MSU continued to heat up outside of the Iowa game, going 9-of-24 from the long line.
The Wolverines failed to ever make the game competitive.
“They came out with great force and determination and they looked like the team who deserved to be Big Ten Champions,” Michigan coach Dusty May said of the Spartans. “I am very proud of how we competed in the second half, taking care of the basketball and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come going forward.”
After dreaming to play for the Spartans his whole life, Atkins finished with his career in front of the “Izzone” student section and fans with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Frankie Fiddler also played his last game as a Spartan, recording four points, respectively. Holloman led all Spartans with 20 points.
“We kind of hate them,” Holloman said of Michigan. “They are a really good basketball team, we just came out here and played the way I know we can for our seniors and that’s what it’s all about (at MSU).”
Vlad Goldin led all scorers with 29 points and added six rebounds. Danny Wolf, the Wolverines second leading scorer, didn’t make a field goal until the second half. However, he ended the game with a double-double, scoring 18 points and snagging 13 boards.
Both teams left the building with a completely different story — Michigan searching for the team they were through the first two months of the season, MSU playing with confidence after a mid-season lull (losing 3-of-4 games) that suddenly seemed so distant.
The Spartan seniors kissed the court and celebrated with joy afterward in the senior day processions. This is truly a class Izzo can’t forget.
“The other day I turned on the TV to the kissing the floor scene and I thought, ‘Wow this place special,’” Izzo said. “The tradition of the kissing of the Spartan head, now our hockey, soccer and baseball team. And I’m damn proud of that.”
Jaden Akins #3 of the Michigan State Spartans kisses the Spartan logo on the floor during the second half of a college basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines at Breslin Center on March 09, 2025 in East Lansing, Michigan. The Michigan State Spartans won the game 79-62. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
At the end of the game, there was a skirmish where Michigan players stood on the Spartan logo at the end of the game when the seniors attempted to kiss it. Izzo didn’t blame the Wolverines.
“That’s what rivalries are all about, we are both guilty,” Izzo said. “It’s our tradition, maybe they didn’t know that, maybe they did what they wanted. It’s what rivalries are all about.”
May said during his press conference he didn’t think standing on the logo during free throws was against the rules.
“Obviously it was longer than any timeout at that point, but they’ve earned the right for that so we are fine with that,” May said. “We have to play better and we have to get tougher.”
MSU will have the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and Michigan will hold on to the No. 3 seed. Right now, the Spartans couldn’t feel like they are in a better position.
Winners of seven straight and outright Big Ten Championships, they will continue to build their resume and look for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan is trying to avoid slipping farther down the board.
Right now, there is no arguing MSU is where they need to be heading into the most important start of the season.
