Michigan State 80, Michigan 67

[February 18, 2015]  Michigan State 80, Michigan 67: Branden Dawson scored 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Spartans cruised past the Wolverines in Big Ten play.

Travis Trice had 22 points and seven assists off the bench and made four 3-pointers as Michigan State (18-8, 9-4) won for the fifth time in six games. Gavin Schilling added 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting as the Spartans shot 62 percent from the field while completing a regular-season sweep of Michigan.

Zak Irvin scored 16 points for the Wolverines (13-13, 6-8), who lost their fifth straight contest. Spike Albrecht, Aubrey Dawkins and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had 12 points apiece.

Michigan State took control early with a 10-0 run – capped by Trice’s 3-pointer – for a 21-8 lead with 10:35 left in the first half. The lead grew to 19 points on Dawson’s layup with 5:55 to play before the Spartans settled for a 38-23 halftime lead.

Abdur-Rahkman scored Michigan’s first 10 second-half points to pull within 11 with just 16 minutes to play and the Wolverines later moved within 55-45 on two free throws by Mark Donnal with 10:29 remaining. The Spartans answered with a 9-2 burst to make it a 17-point margin with seven minutes left and protected the lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Dawson recorded his ninth double-double of this season and 21st of his career. … Wolverines PG Derrick Walton Jr. (foot) missed his sixth consecutive game. … The victory was Michigan State’s first in Ann Arbor since 2010.

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.