Field Level Media
Jan 26, 2018
Miles Bridges had 24 points and seven rebounds, Cassius Winston provided 17 points and six assists, and No. 6 Michigan State notched its third consecutive victory, 76-61, over Wisconsin on Friday night.
Bridges has averaged 25.7 points during the streak. Nick Ward notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. supplied 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for Michigan State (19-3 overall, 7-2 Big Ten).
Ethan Happ scored 22 of his 23 points in the second half for the Badgers (10-12, 3-6), who have lost five of their last six games. He added seven rebounds and four assists but Wisconsin lost for the 11th consecutive time at the Spartans' Breslin Center.
Brevin Pritzl added 13 points for the Badgers, who haven't won a road game at Michigan State since 2004. The Spartans shot 50 percent from the field (27 of 54) while Wisconsin shot 36.2 percent (21 of 58).
Bridges scored 15 first-half points as the Spartans built a 37-21 halftime lead.
Bridges began a run of 11 unanswered points with a long two-pointer. Matt McQuaid and Joshua Langford followed with jumpers and Bridges swished a 3-pointer off a kick-out pass from Ward. Winston completed the run with a transition layup for a 22-8 lead.
Michigan State maintained the double-digit advantage the remainder of the half. Langford gave the Spartans their biggest lead before halftime at 35-17 with a transition layup.
The Spartans shot 55 percent prior to the break while holding the Badgers to 21 percent shooting. Happ, who picked up two quick fouls, missed all eight of his field-goal attempts.
Happ broke through with two baskets during an 11-4 Badgers run to start the second half. He converted a three-point play to complete the spurt to pull Wisconsin within nine at 41-32.
Happ's jump hook with 9:51 remaining cut the Spartans' lead to 46-40. Michigan State responded with a 7-0 spurt that included threes by Winston and Bridges. The Badgers couldn't mount another rally.
--Field Level Media