Tom Izzo sees fight, fixable mistakes in Spartans’ loss at Michigan

Ending the regular season inside Crisler Center was never going to be quiet.

By the time Michigan closed out a 90–80 win over Michigan State Sunday afternoon, the Maize Rage was chanting and the Wolverines were celebrating a historic regular season. But when Tom Izzo walked into the postgame press conference, he made it clear that he did not view the game as a one-sided rivalry moment.

“I guess the crowd didn’t watch the game,” Izzo said. “Because I’m nobody’s damn little brother. Neither is my team.”

Michigan entered the afternoon 29-2 and already holding the Big Ten title, but the Spartans stayed within striking distance for much of the game. The teams were tied for over four minutes and exchanged five lead changes, and Michigan State even held the lead for nearly eight minutes during the contest.

“I’m really proud of my team – how they played and what they did,” Izzo said.

Michigan ultimately pulled away in the final minutes, but the Spartans matched the Wolverines in several statistical categories and executed key parts of their game plan.

Michigan State committed only seven turnovers, a major improvement from the teams’ first meeting earlier in the season. At halftime, the Spartans had just two.

“At halftime we had two turnovers,” Izzo said. “Did a hell of a job on that.”

Michigan State also held its own on the glass, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds and finishing just three rebounds behind Michigan overall (35-32).

But several other areas tilted the game toward the Wolverines.

Lendeborg’s performance

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg delivered one of the most decisive performances of the afternoon.