Michigan State and Michigan met in a rivalry renewed on Friday night, and the big-time showdown did not disappoint.

With 2 programs ranked inside the top 15, the two sides elevated the rivalry back into the realm of playing a major role on the Big Ten race. And on this night, it was Tom Izzo who got the best of Dusty May in the first in-state showdown for the head coaches.

Michigan State was able to overcome a slim halftime deficit and powered its way to an emphatic double-digit win over Michigan in Ann Arbor. The final 8 minutes of the game was all MSU inside the Crisler Center by punching a statement 75-62 win over the Wolverines.

The game ended on a 9-0 run for the Spartans with some clutch offensive rebounding inside the final 2 minutes of the game. Here are the key moments and players from MSU’s win:

Key stretch

In the first half, it was a story of runs for either side. Michigan State opened with a 13-6 run to start the game, but the Wolverines responded with a 17-3 run to take a 23-16 lead. Both sides would calm down from there with Michigan taking a 38-34 lead into the break.

The Spartans came out much crisper to begin the 2nd half, and the key stretch finally came around the 12-minute mark left in the game. MSU was holding a 48-47 lead when Tre Holloman took over for a stretch.

While Vladislav Goldin interrupted the stretch with a bucket for Michigan, Holloman scored 9 straight points via a trio of big 3-pointers for the Spartans. It pushed Michigan State’s lead to 57-49 with 10:49 left to play.

That cushion was significant in the final outcome as the Wolverines were always going to fight back. But the quick 9-point explosion from Holloman paved the way for the Spartans to put the finishing touches late in the game on the road.

Key performers

Outside of Holloman, who was electric for MSU off the bench, the star of this one was freshman Jase Richardson. The son of former Spartan star Jason Richardson, Jase delivered an efficient 21 points and did so in a variety of ways.

His twisting and turning bucket on the fastbreak was just one of multiple highlight-reel moments in the game:

Richardson was especially important as a player who was able to create his own shot in late-clock situations down the stretch, giving the Spartans the clutch buckets late in the win.

For Michigan, Goldin had a team-high 21 points, but it was the skill set of Danny Wolf that was once again dazzling throughout. In the first half, it was a moment of nifty handles and a behind-the-back pass for the 7-footer that drew gasps from the fans:

Wolf finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists while flirting with a triple-double in the rivalry.

Impact on the B1G

With the win, Michigan State is now once again atop the Big Ten standings at 13-3 in league play while Michigan falls into 2nd place at 12-3 and a half-game behind the Spartans. Considering the rough stretch out west for MSU after opening 9-0 in conference play, regaining the lead at this juncture — and doing so on the road — is a massive win.

The race is far from over at this point. Wisconsin is still surging and stands 1.5 games back entering a Saturday matchup vs. Oregon, and Maryland and Purdue are not out of the race yet with a 2-game deficit in the league standings.

For now, it’s the Spartans on top, and they’ll have a tough 4-game stretch to hang onto the lead.