The Michigan State Spartans trailed the Michigan Wolverines on the road by 11 points with 12 minutes remaining, but rallied late to turn the game into an absolute nail-biter. They led going into the final two minutes, but gave up a transition opportunity in the final minute off of a missed jumper by Keith Appling, resulting in a Stu Douglass go-ahead layup. The Spartans had both a shot and a tip on an offensive rebound on their final possession, but missed both as Michigan won their third straight against the Spartans, 60-59.
Michigan State Vs. Michigan: Wolverines Win 60-59 In Dramatic Fashion
Michigan played fantastic defense on the final possession, denying access to the lane and closing down on the Spartans' perimeter players to deny open shots. With 11 seconds left, Appling forced up a desperation shot that was blocked by Jordan Morgan. The Spartans got the ball back for one last opportunity, with Draymond Green creating a decent shot, but he failed to convert. He impressively followed his shot and got his hand to the rebound, but his tip hit the rim and bounced out as time expired.
Both teams had long runs during the course of the game, with State’s late run the biggest of the game. After going down 47-39 in the second half, the Spartans rallied to go up 57-53 with just over four minutes remaining. However, they could only manage two more points in the final four minutes.
Trey Burke was the star, scoring 20 points on 8-11 shooting form the floor. Michigan State out-rebounded their opponents by an incredible margin of 31-15, but the Wolverines' 51 percent shooting from the floor was ultimately the difference.
For more on the two teams, check out Michigan State blog The Only Colors and Michigan blog Maize ‘n’ Brew, along with SB Nation Detroit.
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