Michigan uses big second-half rally to beat Michigan State for first time in Breslin Center since 2018

No. 3 Michigan made a statement on Friday with an 83-71 win over No. 7 Michigan State to move into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines were coming off a win over Nebraska — one of three unbeaten teams in Division I basketball — before moving to 5-0 against AP Top 25 opponents with a victory over their in-state rival.

The Wolverines (20-1, 10-1 Big Ten) have now won six consecutive games since dropping their only game of the season against Wisconsin earlier this month. Michigan is now 7-0 against Quad 1 opponents, and 17 of its 21 wins have been by at least 10 points. 

Michigan State (19-3, 9-2) entered the week 12-6 overall against Michigan when both programs were ranked and had won seven of the last nine matchups against its in-state rival. The Wolverines had only three wins in their last 25 meetings when playing at the Breslin Center. 

Friday marked Michigan’s first win over MSU on the road since 2018 in one of the most anticipated matchups in the No. 197 meeting between the programs.

Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg led the charge by finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds. The former UAB star recorded his fourth double-double of the season in the victory, while fellow transfer guard Elliot Cadeau scored nine of his 17 points in the second half.

Mara continues to be one of the best transfer portal additions

Part of what made Michigan such a difficult matchup last season was the two-big lineup that May deployed with Wolf and Goldin both starting in the frontcourt. May kept a similar style this season, with a frontline of Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara that gives opposing teams headaches.

Mara, a former blue-chip recruit in the 2023 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, is averaging 2.6 blocks per game despite logging just 22.9 minutes per game. The former UCLA big man was underused during his time with the Bruins. Case and point? Mara logged at least 20 minutes in just 11 games combined during his two seasons with the program.

Under May at Michigan, Mara has become one of — if not the best defenders in college basketball. He’s shooting 68.9% from the field and is also one of the best outlet passers in the sport. Mara is one of the best transfer portal additions in the sport.

Mara finished with eight points, five rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.

A tale of two halves

Michigan State was a completely different team in the second half. The Spartans shot 7 of 26 (2 of 12 from the 3-point line) in the first half, but the final 20 minutes were a different story. Michigan State knocked down 15 of 34 shots (44.1%) in the second half and was able to chip away at the deficit.

It all started when MSU opened the second half on a 15-4 run. However, what hurt MSU was the 3-point shooting. As a team, Michigan State was just 4 of 23 from downtown. Michigan State took its first lead of the game with 7:27 remaining, but Michigan proceeded to knock down six of its next seven shots to regain the lead for good.

Michigan State, per KenPom.com, allows the lowest offensive rebounding percentage (21.4) in the sport. The Spartans had only allowed double-digit offensive rebounds once (against Arkansas) entering the night. Michigan secured 11 offensive rebounds, and six of them came from Lendeborg.

When Michigan defeated Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last spring, the Wolverines were able to advance by beating the Aggies at their own game: on the offensive glass. Tonight was more of the same. Michigan created second-chance opportunities in the first half. The Wolverines outscored the Spartans 14-6 in second-chance points.

Michigan’s path to the Big Ten regular-season title

In CBS Sports’ latest Bracketology projections, Michigan remained a No. 1 seed alongside Duke, Arizona and Nebraska. With the NCAA Tournament less than two months away, the Wolverines still have time to add to their resume to potentially secure the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance.

After picking up a win over Michigan State, the path to a Big Ten regular-season title is also clearer. Notable games in conference play the rest of the season include a matchup on the road against Purdue, home games against UCLA and Michigan State and another road game against No. 9 Illinois. Another game on the schedule (that obviously isn’t part of conference play) is a matchup against Duke on Feb. 21. That game could have major stakes as a resume builder for both teams.

Michigan’s last regular-season Big Ten title came in 2021. The Wolverines have captured the Big Ten regular season title three times since the turn of the century. Michigan won the Big Ten tournament title and reached the Sweet 16 last season during Dusty May’s first season at the helm. It was one of the best year-to-year turnarounds in college basketball history.

This version of Michigan might be just as good as last year. That’s saying a lot after May rebuilt a majority of this roster via the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Michigan is a legit national title threat. The Wolverines have everything it takes to be the final team standing in Indianapolis in April. This game was a prime example of why.