Michigan basketball's first win in East Lansing since 2018 made it clear: The national championship talk isn't slowing down.
EAST LANSING — For anybody who thought the dominance of Michigan basketball would simply fade away as Big Ten play heated up, consider this a signal to the contrary.
In unfamiliar territory, the Wolverines blitzed the Spartans early. Then, as Breslin Center got rocking and Michigan State's run went from comeback to came back, Michigan showed resolve and poise. Up 18, then down two, the Wolverines made all the necessary plays late to beat Michigan State, 83-71, in East Lansing – U-M's first road win in the rivalry since 2018.
This was the first time in the rivalry for many maize-and-blue newcomers, but the moment was not lost on them.
"Man, so many DM's from Michigan fans I was getting," said Yaxel Lendeborg, who had 26 points for U-M. "It's like, you would think they're about to lose their life if they lose, and I didn't want to let those guys down.
"Since I committed here, I've been getting so much hate from Michigan State, so I really needed this as well, just to stick it to them and show them that Michigan is real."
That didn't seem up for debate, as the Wolverines sat at No. 2 in the coaches poll entering the week. There's even less debate now, as Michigan (20-1, 10-1 Big Ten) ripped off its second top-10 win in four days to grab sole possession of first place in the Big Ten and tie its best-ever 21-game start.
U-M did it with a little bit of everything, getting the best out of its best.
Lendeborg led the Wolverines in scoring, with his most he's scored in nearly seven weeks and added 13 rebounds, a season high. Elliot Cadeau made big play after big play late, capped by a dagger 3 from the right wing for a six-point lead with 3:08 to go. Morez Johnson Jr. scored 12 points as he mixed and matched on defense, grabbing four boards with two blocks and a steal.
Michigan matched one of the best rebounding teams in the country (36-36), got more production from its bench (20-12, highlighted by 10 points from freshman Trey McKenney) and had its best 3-point shooting game of January at 38.1% in a signature victory for coach Dusty May.
"I think we proved that we can still win in different ways," May said. "We have to be able to win these types of games. ... Every one of these games [matters] especially against a culture like this."
Bend but don't break
U-M's defense was virtually impenetrable in the first half, holding MSU to seven makes while stretching its lead to 42-24 in the final minute before halftime. But a 33-13 run gave Michigan State a 57-55 lead with just a few minutes left in the game.
Lendeborg tied it with two free throws, then, after Jordan Scott put MSU up 59-57, Will Tschetter hit his only shot of the night – a corner 3 in front of the Michigan bench to put U-M in front for good.
"They have enormous size," MSU coach Tom Izzo said. "Michigan's good, they're a good team. They got a lot of size, they can play different ways."
That included shooting from outside. Cadeau's 3 to go up 69-63 was the biggest 3 of the night – and one he placed in his personal "top five," coming as part of a fierce guard battle with potential MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr.
Fears finished with a career-high 31 points and seven assists while the Spartans in it until the final minutes. But it was Cadeau who made just one more play, which included making three of his five 3-pointers to go with six assists against just two turnovers.
"Two elite point guards," May said. "That's one thing about the Big Te, there's about 10 high-, high -level point guards. ... I'm not sure Fears isn't as good as any of them, but I'm taking Elliot against anyone."
Putting the country on notice
Before the game, May walked out of the U-M locker room and wanted to glance at the court – he saw students lined up outside as the team bus pulled up and figured it would be a chance to sneak a peak.
No dice. The Izzone saw him and smelled blood, booing him mercilessly. May knew he had one of two options, so he continued to make his way to the floor, sat in the black cushioned seats courtside and smiled as many four-letter words and uncouth remarks flew his way.
"I was greeted as soon as I stuck my head out on the court," he said. "At that point I was like, 'There's no way I'm ducking and running from this smoke now. This stuff doesn't bother me, so I just let them get all their frustration and animosity out early so that way they can enjoy the game."
Michigan couldn't fully enjoy it until the final moments – Lendeborg said Johnson's thunderous slam in traffic to go up 66-63 was when he knew U-M was going to win. But Lendeborg's offensive rebound that led to a Johnson reverse layup with less than two minutes left was the signature moment.
U-M did what it needed to in almost every regard: Rebounding, shooting and holding onto the ball. MSU, meanwhile, didn't, as the Spartans turned 15 offensive rebounds into just six second-chance points. Coupled with a 4-for-23 performance beyond the arc, there was almost no way to overcome it.
In the end, it was perhaps the most satisfying victory for Michigan fans since the Wolverines earned an Elite Eight berth in 2021.
A season ago, Michigan made too much of regular-season wins. Now, it's downplaying them. That's the growth in not even two full years.
And now, there's two months until Michigan is, it hopes, playing in the final weekend of the season.
"We're trying to come along and just be the best team we can be," Lendeborg said. "We want to make a deep run in March and this is the type of games that you're going to get in those scenarios. So we made the best of our opportunity and continue to move forward."
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball delivers 'real 'message after win over MSU
Category: General Sports
