Field Level Media
Dec 25, 2020
D'Mitrik Trice poured in 29 points and No. 9 Wisconsin snapped its 12-game losing streak in East Lansing with an 85-76 triumph over No. 12 Michigan State on Friday.
Wisconsin's Aleem Ford had 13 points before fouling out, and Brad Davison and Micah Potter added 11 points apiece. The Badgers (8-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) had not defeated the Spartans on their home floor since 2004.
Joey Hauser had 27 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans (6-2, 0-2), who lost their second straight game. Aaron Henry chipped in 12 points, but Wisconsin scored 24 points off 14 Spartans turnovers.
Michigan State scored the first nine points of the second half to gain a nine-point advantage. Josh Langford got that spurt going with a 3-pointer and Hauser finished it off with two free throws.
The Badgers responded with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 53. Trice scored all of Wisconsin's points during that stretch, including a pair of 3-pointers. He completed that run with a layup after a Spartans turnover.
Hauser's 3-pointer with nine minutes to go gave Michigan State a 61-57 advantage. The Badgers then went on a 10-1 run. Ford had the first four points of those Wisconsin points and Nate Reuvers supplied the last six, including a bucket with 6:19 remaining to make it 67-62.
Jonathan Davis' layup with just over four minutes remaining gave the Badgers a 73-69 lead. Reuvers scored on a postup with 2:45 left to stretch the lead to six.
Trice then found Davis behind the defense after another missed Spartans shot.
A three-point play by Hauser cut the Badgers' lead to four, 78-74, with 58 seconds left. Wisconsin closed out the game with free throws.
The game was tied at 42 at halftime. Both teams shot well, with Michigan State making 58.6 percent of its field-goal attempts and Wisconsin connecting on 53.6 percent of its attempts.
Hauser led the Spartans with 11 points and Henry had eight. Ford fueled the Badgers with 11 points, while Trice and Davison scored nine apiece.
--Field Level Media