EAST LANSING – Michigan State’s late-season run continues.
The No. 8 Spartans (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten) pushed past No. 11 Wisconsin (22-7, 12-6) for a 71-62 win on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center.
It was Michigan State’s fifth straight victory and fourth in a row against a ranked team that keeps the squad in first place in the Big Ten with two games to go. The Spartans can lock up at least a share of the conference title with a win on Thursday at Iowa.
Here are notable quotes from coach Tom Izzo and players following the win:
Izzo beating Wisconsin, which had won six of seven: “It was a monster win, that’s for sure.”
Izzo on Jaden Akins hitting four triples and finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds and his work on the other end of the court: “There’s no question Jaden Akins not only did it offensively, but he did a hell of a job defensively.”
Akins on snapping out of a shooting funk: “I felt like I’ve been waiting for a game like this and I’m just grateful that it happened at a time like this.”
Izzo Jaxon Kohler, who finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds with seven boards on the offensive end: “He plays possessed, that’s how he gets it done. He is like a heat-seeking missile.”
Kohler on the double-double with a career-high in rebounds: “With their size, boards was going to be an essential factor on who is going to win the game and we wanted to make sure we controlled the boards.”
Izzo on his team closing strong again: “I think it says a lot about your team that you can bear down in those last five minutes and just take a stranglehold defensively.”
Coen Carr on Michigan State’s defense: “We just kind of keep that same mindset throughout the whole game about playing defense. We just happened to be able to get stops at the right time.”
Izzo, sarcastically, on Carr’s two-handed reverse slam off a lob that sparked the Spartans in the first half: “The reverse one, we’ve been coaching that one this week.”
Carson Cooper on his reaction to that highlight slam: “I kind of double-taked a little bit when I was running back.”
Izzo on Michigan State finishing 6-for-13 from the free-throw line after entering the game fifth in the country at 80 percent: “We’re not going to beat the hell out of anybody but we’re going to get some extra free throw shooting in because we are a good free throw shooting team.”
Jase Richardson, who finished with 11 points, six assists and five rebounds after spending the final 14:38 of the first half on the bench with two fouls: “Once I came in the second half, I kind of was just feeding off the energy that Jaden and Jeremy (Fears) were trying to give to me.”
