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Michigan slams Minnesota to win 10th straight B1G Tournament game, will play MSU for title
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The B1G regular season title came down to the final game of the year between Michigan and Michigan State. One week later, the two teams will square off in Chicago, this time with the tournament championship on the line.
Michigan had no trouble with Minnesota on Saturday afternoon, posting a 76-49 win to advance to the championship game. It was the 10th straight victory for the Wolverines in the B1G Tournament, dating back to 2017.
It wasn’t much of a contest from the start, as Michigan was able to establish a double-digit lead just 13 minutes into the contest. The Wolverines held a 38-19 advantage heading into halftime.
The second half didn’t get much better. Minnesota was exhausted after playing in tough games in back-to-back nights and didn’t have the stamina to keep up with a fast-paced Michigan team that was rested and refreshed.
Zavier Simpson had another big day, scoring 15 points and registering nine assists in the win. He’s now accounted for 20 assists with just one turnover in two games in the B1G Tournament. Michigan’s leading scorer was Isaiah Livers, who had 21 points on eight-of-10 shooting from the floor.
Ignas Brazdeikis added 13 points for the Wolverines.
Amir Coffey led the way for Minnesota, scoring 14 points in the loss. Jordan Murphy had 10 points and six rebounds.
Sunday will mark the third time Michigan and Michigan State have played this season, with the Spartans winning the first two en route to a regular season conference title. Michigan is hoping to become the first team ever to win the B1G Tournament in three consecutive years.
Michigan and Michigan State have played for a B1G Tournament title just one other time in history, coming in 2014. The Spartans also won that matchup 69-55.
Tipoff between the Spartans and Wolverines is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on CBS.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB