Michigan Beats Michigan State in a Thriller

Photo Credit: UMhoops.com

Michigan and Michigan State renewed their rivalry Tuesday. They were meeting as ranked teams for the first time since 1998. (MSU was 9th going in, Michigan 19th.)

Michigan got off to a hot start int he first half, shooting the ball well and moving the ball around to get open looks. Michigan at one point built their lead up to 11 points and definitely looked like the better team in the first half.

But Sparty wouldn't go away. They kept coming back and keeping it close. The Spartans were able to rally by exploiting their advantage over Michigan and pounding the ball inside. Derrick Nix had a game from the bench, dropping a Spartan high 13 points. 30 of MSU's 59 points came from the bench.

It was back and forth at the end, but Trey Burke made yet another great play, getting the ball out on the fast break and giving it to Stu Douglas for the eventual game winner. Draymond Green had a good look for the win, but couldn't get it to go.

Trey Burke was the key to this game. He didn't look like a freshman point guard playing in a big game; he looked like a four year starter. Tim Hardaway JR was a virtual non fact, and Burke, along with Zack Novak, stepped up when it mattered for the Wolverines.

The one perplexing thing about this game was how MSU handled themselves in the late stages. They took out Nix, despite his dominating presence in the low block, and after that, they seemed to stop pounding it inside all together, which is what got them their lead. When they had the lead late, they decided to just wind down the clock and take a jump shot instead of try to get the ball inside, where they had established their dominance.

But in the end Michigan won, it's a game that could have gone either way. MSU got outplayed for most of the game, and Michigan missed too many free throws and gave MSU opportunities to come back, so both teams could have executed better.

But both teams were evenly matched, and it was a hell of a basketball game. Let's just enjoy the intensity of a rivalry where both teams are on the same level. Enjoy it while it lasts.