EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Michigan State needed to steal at least one of its final four games to make a stronger case for an NCAA Tournament berth.
So far, the Spartans are 2-for-2. And they did it with a variety of contributions.
MSU used a 10-1 run midway through the second half, then held off No. 15 Wisconsin's furious comeback for an 84-74 senior day victory Sunday at Breslin Center.
The Spartans (18-11, 10-6 Big Ten) have won five of their past seven. The Badgers (22-7, 11-5) have lost four of their past five.
Nick Ward scored 22 points with nine rebounds to lead MSU. Matt McQuaid equaled a season high with 15 points, while Miles Bridges had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Both Bridges and Ward, as well as Joshua Langford and Alvin Ellis, battled foul trouble.
Cassius Winston finished with 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Fellow freshman guard Langford added nine points and four rebounds.
Nigel Hayes led the Badgers with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Bronson Koenig scored 17, and Zak Showalter added 15 points.
MSU built a 68-55 lead with 8:06 to play on Winston's 3-pointer, but Wisconsin answered with an 11-4 to pull back within four on Koenig's 3-pointer with 4:02 remaining.
Bridges got a pair of free throws and Ward fought through a hard foul for a layup and three-point play with 1:44 to play to put the Spartans back up 11. Hayes and Koenig hit buckets to trim it to 77-70, but Bridges and Winston sealed the win at the free-throw line for MSU.
The Spartans were even able to get injured guard Eron Harris into the game with a huge knee brace in the waning seconds to allow him _ as well as fellow seniors Ellis and Matt Van Dyk _ to kiss the Spartan logo at midcourt.
Ward jumpstarted the Spartans in the paint, scoring 11 of his 13 opening-half points in the first 5:25. That included five straight on a three-point play and an alley-oop dunk from Winston that gave the Spartans their first lead.
MSU built its lead to 13 with inside 6 minutes left when the Badgers started to take advantage of two fouls to Ward, Langford and Ellis. Freshman D'Mitrik Trice, brother of former Spartan star Travis, drained a 3-pointer to spark a 14-2 closing kick that pulled Wisconsin back within 38-37 at halftime. Hayes and Happ combined for eight points in the final 5 minutes, while Zak Showalter's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave him 11 at halftime.
McQuaid had 11 at intermission for MSU, which shot 50 percent until missing its final three shots of the half.
The Spartans take to the road for their final two games of the regular season, starting with Wednesday at Illinois (Big Ten Network) and wrapping up next Saturday at Maryland.
