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Michigan State leads wire-to-wire, defeats Wisconsin to advance to B1G Tournament championship
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For the first time since 2016, Michigan State will play for a B1G Tournament title.
The Spartans led Wisconsin wire-to-wire in the semifinal round on Saturday afternoon, and finished the day with a 67-55 win. Now, Michigan State has a chance to supplement its regular season title with a tournament championship.
Michigan State was led by Cassius Winston, who scored 21 points and dished six assists with an injured toe in the victory. Kenny Goins was also a huge contributor in the win, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Xavier Tillman also reached double figures, adding 17 points in the win.
Michigan State jumped out to an 11-2 lead before the first media timeout, building a nice cushion early in the contest. Midway through the half, the Spartans increased their lead to 17 points with a 27-10 advantage. Wisconsin made a strong push at the end of the first half, closing the gap to 35-27 at the break.
The Badgers hung around for a little while in the second half, coming as close as six points, but the Spartans pulled away in the final five minutes, punching their ticket to the championship game on Sunday.
Michigan State outrebounded Wisconsin 45-29 and held the Badgers to just two-of-19 shooting from behind the three-point line for the game. Those two statistical categories proved to be the biggest difference in the game.
Ethan Happ bounced back after a uncharacteristic performance against Nebraska, scoring 20 points in the loss. Kobe King was the only other Badger to reach double figures, adding 13 off the bench.
Sunday, Michigan State will take on the winner of Michigan-Minnesota with the tournament title on the line. The Spartans last claimed that crown in 2016 in Indianapolis.
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