Michigan St. clinches Big Ten regular-season title

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Jase Richardson scored 22 points and No. 8 Michigan State wrapped up the outright Big Ten regular-season championship with a 91-84 victory over Iowa on Thursday night.

Michigan State (25-5, 16-3) won its first conference title since 2020. The Spartans secured a share of the championship Wednesday night with Michigan’s loss to Maryland.

Down 58-48 with 12:13 left, Michigan State reeled off a 19-2 run and never trailed again on the way to its sixth consecutive victory. The Spartans scored 61 second-half points.

The Hawkeyes (15-15, 6-13) led 37-30 at halftime, taking advantage of a 22-2 surge. Michigan State missed 10 of 11 shots during that run.

Jaxon Kohler and Jaden Akins each had 15 points for Michigan State. Jeremy Fears Jr. had 14 and Tre Holloman added 11.

Josh Dix led Iowa with 18 points. Payton Sandfort and Seydou Traore had 15 apiece.

Takeaways

Michigan State: The Spartans struggled to make shots early, but stayed patient and let their defense take over in the second half. Michigan State got open looks throughout the second half, especially in transition, shooting 61.3%.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes had control for most of the game, but this one went like so many others this season. Since the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Owen Freeman to a hand injury in early February, Iowa has seemed outmanned in most games.

Key moment

Michigan State’s Coen Carr had back-to-back lob dunks in the big second-half run.

Key stat

This is the 11th Big Ten title for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, tying him with Indiana’s Bob Knight and Purdue’s Ward “Piggy” Lambert for the record.

Up next

Michigan State hosts Michigan on Sunday. Iowa is at Nebraska on Sunday.