Dusty May didn’t shy away from the moment when he stepped into the Breslin Center before Friday night’s showdown with Michigan State. As soon as he emerged from the tunnel, boos and jeers poured down on the Michigan coach with extra intensity, even by rivalry standards. May reacted by smiling, offering a fist bump, and settling into his seat with a relaxed posture, seemingly unfazed as chants — some laced with profanity — echoed through the arena.
After the game, May said there was no backing away once he felt the reaction from the crowd. He embraced it, understanding that the atmosphere was part of what makes the rivalry special. While May appeared comfortable, his team was tested in a very different way on the court. No. 3 Michigan let a 16-point second-half lead slip away, but a late surge led by point guard Elliot Cadeau helped the Wolverines regain control and secure an 83–71 victory. The win marked Michigan’s first triumph at Breslin Center since January 2018 and snapped a four-game losing streak against Michigan State.
May described the environment as electric and said the experience was valuable for his players. He noted that although Michigan didn’t receive a warm welcome, the physical nature of the game and the ability to fight for rebounds and loose balls helped his team overcome a rival that had given them trouble the previous season.
With the victory, Michigan improved to 20–1 overall and 10–1 in Big Ten play, remaining tied for first place in the conference with Nebraska and Illinois. Michigan State fell to 19–3 overall and 9–2 in league play, sitting in fourth place but still just one game off the lead.
Michigan appeared firmly in control at halftime, leading 42–26, but watched that advantage disappear as Michigan State surged in the second half. The Spartans briefly took a 59–57 lead with 6:55 remaining, completing a dramatic comeback. Cadeau then steadied the Wolverines, finishing with 17 points and six assists. Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a dominant performance with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Trey McKenney added 10 points off the bench, including two crucial three-pointers. Michigan’s eight made threes and a 14–3 edge in second-chance points proved decisive.
Cadeau said the Wolverines expected to be tested, especially in a rivalry game on the road. He credited the team’s composure and ability to return to what was working earlier in the game for closing out the win.
Michigan State was led by point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who had a career night with 31 points on 20 shots while also handing out seven assists. Jaxon Kohler added 12 points, Coen Carr chipped in 10, and freshman Jordan Scott scored 10 while starting the second half. Scott’s insertion into the lineup helped spark a 33–15 run over the first 13 minutes of the half that turned the game around.
The Spartans struggled mightily in the first half, shooting just 7-of-26 from the field, but looked energized after the break as the home crowd came alive with towels waving and constant noise. Fears was central to the rally, forcing turnovers with four steals and scoring 17 second-half points off those mistakes. However, Michigan State’s momentum faded late as the Spartans missed 19 of their 23 attempts from three-point range.
Head coach Tom Izzo expressed frustration afterward, saying he was disappointed not only in the shooting but also in his team’s overall performance. He felt Michigan made key plays late, particularly pointing to Lendeborg’s impact, while also referencing what he saw as questionable officiating.
Turnovers were another major issue for Michigan State, especially early, as miscues by forwards and centers gave away valuable possessions. Several key calls also went against the Spartans, including a hook-and-hold foul on Cam Ward late in the first half that erased a defensive stop. That sequence helped Michigan go on an 8–0 run, fueled by Lendeborg and McKenney, to build momentum.
Lendeborg said the win showed the team’s growing maturity, especially in a hostile environment like Breslin Center. He acknowledged that Michigan lost some energy in the second half but credited the group for staying composed and doing what was necessary to finish the game.
In the first half, Michigan was paced by Lendeborg, Cadeau, and McKenney, with center Aday Mara adding six points. The 7-foot-3 Mara used his size advantage early against Michigan State center Carson Cooper, but foul trouble limited his time. Fears drew two early fouls on Mara, including one just seconds into the game and another late in the first half that sent Mara to the bench. Fears capitalized at the line, making 12 of his 14 free throws.
Although Scott scored only seven points in the second half, including the basket that gave Michigan State its final lead, his impact went beyond scoring. His defense disrupted Michigan’s guards, and he grabbed four rebounds, two on the offensive end. Despite having the same number of offensive rebounds as Michigan, the Spartans struggled to convert second chances, being outscored badly in that category until a late three by Fears with under a minute to play.
Kohler said Michigan State failed to execute on the offensive glass, while Izzo echoed that sentiment, saying it was not characteristic of his team.
During the heart of the comeback, Michigan State briefly looked like itself. Carr energized the crowd with a dunk and attacked the rim, while Fears orchestrated the offense and repeatedly drew fouls. As the deficit shrank, Fears urged the crowd on, sensing an opportunity to seize the game. May admitted afterward that Michigan made poor decisions during that stretch, allowed easy baskets, and let the crowd influence the momentum.
McKenney stopped the bleeding with a long jumper out of a timeout, but Kohler’s back-to-back scores kept the pressure on. Scott’s defensive presence led to an intentional foul call against McKenney, and Scott followed that by scoring an and-one layup. His basket with 6:55 remaining gave Michigan State its brief lead.
From there, Michigan responded decisively. Will Tschetter hit a three-pointer to reclaim the lead and provided a spark after a long scoring drought. A missed pair of free throws by Carr in a tight moment opened the door, and Cadeau took advantage with a layup and then a three-pointer that pushed the lead to six. Cadeau, who had been quiet for much of the second half, delivered when it mattered most as Michigan closed the game on a 14–6 run.
May highlighted Cadeau’s short floater as a key play that forced Michigan State to adjust defensively, opening up opportunities for teammates. The Spartans could not recover, even as the game dragged on late. Izzo was assessed a technical foul with just over 30 seconds left, and Lendeborg calmly knocked down four free throws. May called a timeout to loud boos from the remaining fans, while Izzo stormed off immediately after the final horn.
May said his postgame message to his players was to stay composed and not get caught up in the emotion, noting that the teams will meet again. Michigan and Michigan State are scheduled to close the regular season against each other at Crisler Center on March 8. Michigan has not swept the regular-season series against its rival since 2014, though it did win twice in 2018 when including the Big Ten Tournament.