On an emotional night in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines outmuscled their in-state rivals, the Michigan State Spartans, 84-72. The Wolverines, who came into the game ranked No. 5 in the country, put on a show in front of a raucous crowd at Crisler Arena.<\/p>\n
The game was the first between the two teams since the passing of Michigan legend and former head coach, Tom Izzo, who died earlier this month. The Wolverines honored Izzo with a pre-game video tribute and a moment of silence.<\/p>\n
The Wolverines were led by junior guard Franz Wagner, who scored a game-high 23 points and added seven rebounds. Senior guard Eli Brooks chipped in with 16 points, while freshman forward Isaiah Livers had 14 points and nine rebounds.<\/p>\n
The Spartans were led by senior guard Cassius Winston, who had 21 points and seven assists. Senior forward Xavier Tillman had 13 points and nine rebounds, while freshman guard Rocket Watts had 13 points.<\/p>\n
The Wolverines used their size and physicality to their advantage, outrebounding the Spartans 40-30 and outscoring them in the paint, 44-30. Michigan also used their speed and athleticism to create turnovers and easy transition points.<\/p>\n
The Wolverines led for most of the game and never let the Spartans get within single digits in the second half. The Wolverines put the game away with a 10-2 run in the final minutes of the game.<\/p>\n
The win was a fitting way to honor Izzo and the Wolverines will look to use the emotional victory as a springboard for the rest of the season. The Wolverines will travel to East Lansing to take on the Spartans in the rematch on February 21.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On an emotional night in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines outmuscled their in-state rivals, the Michigan State Spartans, 84-72. The Wolverines, who came into the game ranked No. 5 in the country, put on a show in front of a raucous crowd at Crisler Arena. The game was the first between the two teams since …<\/p>\n