It wasn't easy, and rarely is at the Kohl Center in Wisconsin.
Though in years past the difficulty always had to do with basketball, back when Bo Ryan routinely rolled out top 20 teams that got into Michigan State's psyche.
On Sunday, the struggle was about something else, about more negative headlines, and more questions, and how these young and talented Spartans would continue to navigate them.
On Friday, an FBI report suggested Miles Bridges' mom, Cynthia Bridges, took $400 from an agent, which is a potential violation. On Saturday, MSU's compliance office cleared him.
And yet that wasn't going to stop the Wisconsin crowd from letting him hear about it. The sophomore star was booed during introductions. Booed the first few times he touched the ball.
Whether the reaction, or just the stress of the report in general, affected his play is hard to say. He is, after all, a streaky shooter.
So, when he struggles, as he did the first half on Sunday, it's just as likely because of who he is a player. Bridges drained an important jumper from the top of the key when the Spartans made their push to win the game.
He made critical free throws, too.
His late awakening, along with help from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cassius Winston, helped MSU beat back a dogged, if underwhelming Wisconsin team.
The 68-63 victory gave Tom Izzo his first outright Big Ten title since 2009. That's a notable accomplishment. It's hard to determine what it means at the moment.
For now, it gives MSU the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament that begins this week in New York. And it makes the target on their back a little bigger.
It has been an unusual and difficult season for these Spartans. Yet they are still here.
That says something, too.
MSU played with better effort than it did last weekend against Northwestern. That game was also an early start on the road in the central time zone.
In Madison, the Spartans simply struggled to make shots. Except for Winston, who made all six of his 3-pointers. None more important than one he hit with about six minutes left in the game after the Badgers had taken a two-point lead.
Winston is taking over this team. Both on the court and in the locker room. At least the postgame locker room, where his smart and pensive answers the past month have brought perspective and calm to the team.
He brings a similar calm to the floor. And while he's still prone to an occasional unforced turnover, usually because he's trying to force a pass into a tight spot, he rarely makes a mistake because he panics.
Winston saved his team against Northwestern.
And did again Sunday.
Before he hit it, you could feel an upset coming. Then Winston's long ball gave MSU the lead again. That led to a mini-run, and the Spartans held on from there.
MSU's two best shooters outside of Winston don't get enough decent shots. This is partly because Joshua Langford and Matt McQuaid aren't good enough with the ball to create their own space _ though Langford can often find room at the elbow.
But the Spartans are at best when at least one of these wings have space. Their shooting can spread the floor and give more room to the Spartans' interior firepower.
Against the Badgers, Langford took two shots in the first half _ a made three and a layup _ while McQuaid shot once. Teams are running McQuaid off the 3-point line or switching when he comes off screens.
Izzo hasn't built his offense around either player, but both are critical to a deep, postseason run.
In November, when the Spartans played Duke in Chicago, neither player helped loosen up the Blue Devils' zone.
It cost MSU.
It will again if they don't get it figured out.
