Michigan 90, Michigan State 80 — Wolverines Sweep Spartans, Win Big Ten Regular Season Title on Senior Day
No. 3 Michigan closed the regular season in dominant fashion Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 8 Michigan State 90-80 at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. It is Michigan's first sweep of the Spartans since 2014 — and the Wolverines celebrated Senior Day and their outright Big Ten regular-season championship in style.
Final Score: Michigan 90, Michigan State 80 — Senior Day Complete
Michigan built an early 16-point lead at halftime, saw Michigan State storm all the way back to tie the game, then closed on a dominant run to put it away. It was a rematch of their January 30 meeting, which Michigan won 83-71 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing — the first Wolverines win there since 2018.
Michigan led 75-65 on free throws from Yaxel Lendeborg with 1:07 left and the Wolverines hit eight more free throws over the final 44 seconds to close out the win. Michigan State fell behind early in the first half and went into halftime with a 16-point deficit, 42-26. Carr scored the first two baskets of the second half to ignite the Spartans, and Jeremy Fears capped a 15-2 run to pull MSU to within five points at 46-41. The Spartans tied the game at 55 on a Kohler three-pointer and took a 57-55 lead on a Fears layup with 7:27 to play.
Yaxel Lendeborg Leads Michigan — Senior Day Star
Lendeborg led the charge all afternoon. The four seniors — Lendeborg, Roddy Gayle, Will Tschetter, and Nimari Burnett — were honored in a postgame ceremony after Michigan clinched its 16th Big Ten regular-season championship outright.
Michigan is 1st in the Big Ten in scoring average, 1st in field goal percentage, and 3rd in three-point shooting. Lendeborg averages 14.3 points per game on the season, followed by Morez Johnson Jr. at 13.5, Aday Mara at 11.5, and Elliot Cadeau at 10.1.
Coen Carr and Jeremy Fears Could Not Save Michigan State
Jeremy Fears Jr. — the Big Ten Player of the Year candidate averaging 15.3 points per game — was brilliant again but could not carry the Spartans to a road upset. Coen Carr scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds, his 12th double-figure scoring game of the season.
Michigan State's offense tends to go as far as Fears takes them. While Fears had strong individual numbers, the rest of the Spartans' offense went cold at critical moments, allowing Michigan to pull away in the final two minutes for the second time this season.
Michigan Sweeps MSU for First Time Since 2014
The rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State began in 1909 and the Wolverines now lead the all-time series 99-92. Michigan's sweep is its first since the 2013-14 season. The win also gives Michigan the Big Ten's No. 1 seed heading into next week's conference tournament.
Where to Watch the Big Ten Tournament — Michigan Is the 1-Seed
Michigan locked up the Big Ten Tournament's top seed with Sunday's win and now awaits conference tournament play next week. The Wolverines are chasing program history. A Big Ten Tournament title would mark their most dominant single-season conference performance in over three decades.
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament begins Wednesday, March 11, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Michigan's first game as the No. 1 seed is expected to air on BTN or CBS Sports Network.
