Michigan basketball falls in low-scoring affair at Michigan State, 59-53

Michigan Wolverines basketball suffered its first Big Ten loss and fell to 3-1 in league play with a 59-53 setback to Michigan State Saturday afternoon in East Lansing. Here’s a recap of how the game unfolded.

First half

Michigan State won the tap but didn’t score, and Michigan junior center Hunter Dickinson hit a hook shot to take a 2-0 lead. MSU missed three shots from the field before scoring on a Tyson Walker triple.

Michigan freshman guard Dug McDaniel and Walker received double-technicals down low after Dickinson was called for a foul but the play was overturned and called a shot clock violation.

The Wolverines held a 5-3 lead at the under-16 media timeout, thanks to a freshman guard Jett Howard pull-up three-pointer. At that point, the two teams combined to shoot 3-of-14 from the field.

Michigan led 7-3, but MSU came charging back on a 4-0 run before head coach Juwan Howard called timeout at the 12:18 mark. MSU guard A.J. Hoggard scored a wide-open layup after a miscommunication on defense, then threw a lob to center Mady Sissoko to tie it up. Both teams were shooting under 30 percent from the field at that point.

Michigan brought in its subs, taking out both Jett Howard and Dickinson, and MSU went on a quick 5-0 run. An and-one and made free throw by freshman forward Tarris Reed Jr. stopped the 9-0 overall Spartan surge.

McDaniel committed his second foul at 9:42. Jett Howard picked up his second at the 7:42 mark, when it was all tied up at 12-12. Both starters were on the bench. Michigan’s 5-0 run to tie it up also included a layup by Dickinson. MSU was on a three-minute scoring drought.

The game was tied at 14-14, before, MSU forward Malik Hall went on a personal 5-0 run that included a layup and made three-pointer from the right corner. That marked the Spartans’ largest lead at that point, 19-14 at the 3:14 media timeout. Michigan was 1 of its last 6 shooting from the field and made only 1 of its 9 three-point attempts for the game, despite getting some clean looks. Graduate guard Joey Baker was 0-of-3 from deep.

Michigan took out Dickinson at that timeout despite the former All-American having no fouls. Two sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin free throws at the 55-second mark pulled Michigan within seven points, 25-18.

MSU held for last shot and got its shot blocked by U-M sophomore guard/forward Isaiah Barnes. As Hall and Wolverine junior guard Jace Howard were going for the loose ball by the Michigan bench, Howard fouled the Spartan, who went to the line for a one-and-one and splashed both free throws.

The Spartans led 27-18 at halftime. Michigan shot just 27 percent from the field in the first half, while MSU was at 32 percent. The Maize and Blue made only 1 of their 9 looks from downtown. They also had 9 turnovers (5 came after McDaniel went to the bench) to MSU’s 8.

Second half

MSU began the second half on a 5-0 run, fueled by a Hoggard three and forward Joey Hauser spot-up two-point jumper. Howard and Michigan called timeout at the 18:38 mark after the rough start.

Michigan scored five-straight points itself, but the Spartans answered with a pair of made buckets. MSU led 36-23 at the 15:04 media timeout. Dickinson was more aggressive on the offensive end to start out the second stanza, with a pair of layups and numerous post touches.

Jett Howard heated up with a pair of makes, one from three and the other on a nifty transition layup. The Wolverines couldn’t make up much ground, though, with MSU keeping the lead at double digits. The Spartans held a 40-28 edge with 10:39 to go. The Maize and Blue were still cold at that point, making just 2 of their last 9 shots from the field.

Michigan stayed within striking distance with a redshirt freshman forward Will Tschetter finish at the rim, Bufkin layup and Dickinson shot in close. That marked a mini, 6-2 run. The Spartans led 44-34 with 6:53 left, at which point there was a media timeout.

Finally came the run of significance for Michigan. The Wolverines ripped off nine points in a less-than-three-minute span to MSU’s three and pulled within 6, 47-41 when Spartan head coach Tom Izzo called timeout at 4:23. Dickinson scored six, and Bufkin had the other three, in that span.

A pair of Jett Howard free throws brought Michigan within four points, 49-43, but the Spartans countered. Dickinson missed a free throw and made the other, and two shots — two-pointers by Hall and Hauser — made it 51-44 with less than two minutes to play. Michigan called timeout with the ball at 1:42.

A jumper in the lane by Hoggard proved crucial, bringing the MSU lead out to 53-46 at the 1:07 mark. Bufkin was fouled shooting a three-pointer on Michigan’s possession with 40.6 seconds left. He made two of three to make it 53-48.

Hall was fouled shooting one-and-one with 29.8 seconds left. he made both free throws (55-48). Bufkin drove in and emphatically dunked with 23.6 seconds to go (55-50). MSU had trouble getting the ball in and called timeout.

Walker was fouled shooting one-and-one and made both free throws to make it 57-50. Dickinson hit a three on the other end with 12 seconds left, and Howard called his final timeout. The Spartans held a 57-53 edge.

Walker missed the front end of a one-and-one, opening the door for Michigan, but Dickinson air mailed a triple attempt. There was a scrum for the ball before an MSU rebound and guard Jaden Akins was fouled just before the would-be final buzzer. He made both free throws to make the final score 59-53. Michigan won the second half, 35-32, but fell just short.