Michigan Basketball runs Spartans out of Crisler in rivalry revenge game

Michigan Basketball ran the Michigan State Spartans right out of Crisler Center on Tuesday night by a score 86-57 in the second showdown of the season between the two teams.

The 29-point win was the largest for the Wolverines (15-9, 5-6 B1G) over their rivals from up the road since Tom Izzo’s first season in East Lansing in 1996.

It was arguably their best showing of the season when they needed it most. Michigan’s postseason chances are very much in flux right now and a second loss in as many weeks to a down Spartans (14-10, 6-5 B1G) team may have done serious damage.

But Tuesday was far from that.

Derrick Walton Jr. continues to keep his hot streak alive, scoring a game-high 20 points, which was about his average in the Wolverines’ last six contests. Moritz Wagner and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman chipped in with 19 and 16 points, respectively.

The Wolverines surged out to a 55-29 halftime lead and were 32-of-52 from the floor this evening, as they were the first team to achieve such a feat against MSU this season.

Michigan’s win over the Spartans snaps a five-game losing streak in the series and moves John Beilein to 7-11 in his time in Ann Arbor against Izzo.

It does not get any easier from here, as staring the Wolverines in the face next is a road date at Indiana on Sunday afternoon.