Michigan-Michigan State games aren't for the faint at heart.
Even when the Wolverines were up by 18 points, you knew Michigan State was going to make a run. It's what the Spartans do (and complain about the refs, apparently).
Michigan State loves to try to push Michigan around. It certainly did last season in two convincing wins. This time, Michigan basketball pushed back.
The Wolverines were basically even with the Spartans on 2-point percentage. They limited the Spartans to six second-chance points, all in the last 55 seconds, and withstood a furious start to the second half.
Michigan weathered a 20-point swing to notch the biggest win of Dusty May's two-year tenure. Opportunities for bigger wins await, but here are some observations from a season-defining win for the Wolverines.
The Wolverines are tough enough to win the Big Ten
Defense and rebounding. That's what wins championships, along with great execution down the stretch. Michigan had all three aspects working for it on Friday night.
We'll get to the execution in a second. After the Spartans sprinted down the Wolverines from 18 down, it felt like Michigan State was going to roll to a win. We've seen that movie before.
This Michigan team proved to be different. Michigan State finished with 13 offensive rebounds. But a few of those came in the last minute, so for 39 minutes, the Wolverines did exactly what they need to on the boards.
The offense wasn't pretty. Michigan only shot 47 percent on 2-point attempts. Yet, Michigan State was held to 48. 3-point shooting was the difference.
More importantly, Michigan allowed the 3-point shooting to decide it, after they matched the Spartans' effort defensively and on the boards. The Wolverines also matched the Spartans in a physical sense, and if you can win at the Breslin Center, you can win just about anywhere.
Elliot Cadeau took over
During the last minutes, the Michigan offense was nearly flawless. The Wolveriners scored on almost every possession thanks to point guard Elliot Cadeau. He was masterful with the ball, making some key finds, then drilling the 3-pointer to put Michigan up by six.
Some questioned why May wanted Cadeau over Tre Donaldson. We saw why on Friday night. He had 17 points, was 3-for-5 from deep, dished out six assists, and only had two turnovers.
Michigan doesn't beat Michigan State without the brilliance of Elliot Cadeau down the stretch.
Defense that can win championships
It felt like May was building a roster that could win this game. Honestly, plenty of NCAA tournament games on the second and third weekend end up looking like this, too. Postseason basketball is often about which team has the best defense, not the best offense.
Friday's game featured two of the best defenses in the sport. Michigan's was better. That's why the Wolverines won the game. The 3-point shooting was critical, too. That's how the lead was built in the first place, but after a Carson Cooper dunk at the 4:18 mark, which cut the U-M lead to 64-63, Michigan State managed just two points in the next 3:21.
By then, the game was over.
Nebraska was held scoreless for the last three minutes and change on Tuesday night. That's how you win conseuctive games against teams ranked in the top seven.
It's also how you win national championships.