Michigan State Basketball has done it. Following an absolute beatdown by the Wolverines on Thursday, Tom Izzo and his Spartans bounced back to beat No. 2 Michigan 70-64. MSU was led by some stellar play from Rocket Watts and, once again, Aaron Henry, as well as some late heroics by Joshua Langford.
After getting blistered by Franz Wagner and Hunter Dickinson on Thursday, MSU was able to hold them to 22 combined points on the day, many of those coming in desperation at the end of the game.
Rocket Watts was the star for MSU in this one, scoring 21 points on 8/16 shooting (5/6 from the free-throw line). He also added 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a much-needed bounce-back game after a tough stretch to his season.
The Spartans once again relied on Aaron Henry down the stretch to close out the game. He finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Joshua Langford struggled in this game but was able to redeem himself with a huge game-sealing three-pointer in the final minute of action.
Marcus Bingham Jr. and Joey Hauser had a big impact in this one off the bench. Bingham played excellent defense on Hunter Dickinson, scoring 5 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 steals, a block, and an assist. Hauser had 11 points and 5 rebounds and looked much sharper than he has in weeks.
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍: Michigan State 70, No. 2 Michigan 64@MSU_Basketball gets its third top-5 win of the season. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Enof4slTeD
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 7, 2021
MSU’s third win over a top-5 team this year should lock-in an NCAA Tournament berth for the Spartans. They will get a few days of rest before the Big Ten Tournament starts on March 10.
