Thursday night, #2 Michigan defeated rival Michigan State 69-50. It was a highly anticipated matchup as both teams had plenty to play for. Michigan was looking to clinch the regular season Big Ten title, while the Spartans looked to put a final signature win on their resume to secure their spot in March Madness.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, as the Spartans played with Michigan and refused to go away. That was until the 2:45 mark when Michigan State’s leading scorer Aaron Henry was charged with a questionable flagrant 1 foul. This was Henry’s second foul and he would head to the bench for the remainder of the half, when a 4-point Michigan lead, grew to 11 at the half. Michigan came out of the break with even more command on the game expanding the lead to 28 at one point. Michigan State won’t have long to get revenge on the Wolverines as these teams will play again Sunday afternoon, this time in East Lansing.

This win clinched Michigan’s 15th regular season conference title and their first since 2014. In just their second season under head coach Juwan Howard the Wolverines are already turning heads and will likely be a #1 seed in the tournament this year. For the Spartans, this game was a missed opportunity to clinch a spot in the tournament, but isn’t their last opportunity. Currently, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, has Michigan State listed as an 11-seed in tournament among the “Last Four In” group. Lunardi says that Michigan State needs one more win to play in the tournament, whether it’s against Michigan on Sunday or next weekend in the conference tournament. Expect a fiery performance from the Spartans on Sunday who have proven in these past few weeks they will continue to fight to keep their ncaa tournament appearance streak alive.