ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ The streaks are over.
The three-game skid at home. The four-game losing stretch in the rivalry.
Michigan put an end to them both thanks to a boost from Isaiah Livers and a rough shooting performance from No. 16 Michigan State in a 77-68 win Saturday at Crisler Center.
Livers returned from a three-game absence with a lower-body injury, started and finished with 14 points in 31 minutes.
Zavier Simpson added 16 points and eight assists, Eli Brooks had 11 points and nine rebounds and David DeJulius scored 10 for Michigan (14-9, 5-7 Big Ten), which made 11 3-pointers and turned 14 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.
Cassius Winston had 20 points and six assists, Xavier Tillman added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Aaron Henry had 11 points and nine rebounds for No. 16 Michigan State (16-8, 8-5 Big Ten), which shot a season-low 33.3% (21 for 63) from the field.
After trailing by as much as 10 points in the first half, Michigan State started to crank things up in the second half by getting to the line and taking better care of the ball. The Spartans made a push and pulled within one four times in the first five minutes, the last coming on a 3-pointer by Winston to make it 39-38 with 15:09 to play.
Michigan stemmed the tide as Franz Wagner, Brooks and Jon Teske, who were all scoreless in the first half, provided the counter punch. Wagner converted a 3-point play and added a layup. Brooks made two 3-pointers. Teske threw down a ridiculous one-handed alley-oop from Brooks and made three free throws. Michigan pushed back ahead 56-46 with 7:15 to go.
The Wolverines continued to cash in on their second-chance opportunities and took their largest lead, 58-46, on an offensive rebound and put-back by Brandon Johns Jr. at the 6:51 mark.
The Spartans made a late charge and cut the deficit to 65-59 on a layup from Tillman with 1:56 remaining. The Wolverines used a string of defensive stops _ including a monster block by Livers _ and four free throws to push the lead back to double digits.
Michigan State used a last-gasp effort and pulled back within 72-66 behind 3-pointers from Winston and Rocket Watts with 40 seconds to go. But that's as close as it would get as Michigan made enough free throws down the stretch to seal it.
It was far from an offensive masterpiece in the early stages as recent trends continued for Michigan and Michigan State. The Wolverines struggled to knock down shots at home while the Spartans got off to another rough start on the road.
Over the first six minutes of the game, the teams combined for six points and shot 2 for 17 from the field with eight turnovers and three blocked shots.
Michigan used the deep ball to create some separation, with Livers, Johns and DeJulius each burying a 3-pointer for a 12-3 lead with 11:22 left in the first half.
Winston didn't attempt his first shot until 10:16 mark _ a missed 3-pointer _ and Michigan State didn't crack double figures until the 7:49 mark on driving layup by Tillman.
Michigan continued to live and die by the 3-point shot, with 17 of the team's 31 first-half attempts coming from deep. Simpson buried back-to-back 3s and Livers drained another to give the Wolverines a 25-15 lead with 5:06 left in the half.
Nothing came easy for Michigan State the entire half as the Spartans entered halftime with as many turnovers as made field goals (seven). Despite its offensive woes, Michigan State won the final minutes by getting to the free-throw line _ including two shots after a head-scratching foul by Livers on Kyle Ahrens in the final seconds _ and shaving the deficit to 29-23 at the break.
