Michigan State basketball will get a third matchup with Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday. Who wins?
Postseason play is finally here for Michigan State basketball. The 8-seeded Spartans are set to take on 9-seed Minnesota in their opening round game of the Big Ten Tournament. With a quarterfinal matchup with 1-seed Purdue, and a potential NCAA Tournament appearance, on the line, this game is crucial for the Spartans to win.
Before the rubbermatch with Minnesota tips off, let’s review the first two meetings and make a prediction for game three.
Games 1 and 2 recap
Game one between the Spartans and Gophers took place at the Breslin Center in mid-January. Michigan State had control for most of the game, and beat the Gophers 76-66. Even though MSU led for most of the game, the Gophers battled hard and tied the game with 5:39 to play. That’s when Tyson Walker and Michigan State’s defense took over.
The Gophers only scored four points (all free throws) the rest of the game, and Tyson scored 12 of his 21 points in the final four minutes.
The second game in Minnesota began very similarly to the first. MSU led for most of the game and had another five-point lead at the half. They even got their lead to as high as nine points with 12 minutes to play. That’s when disaster struck, meaning Walker getting hurt and leaving the game for a few minutes. That sparked a Minnesota run, one MSU couldn’t stop after Tyson returned. The Gophers held on late, winning the game 59-56.
Game 3 prediction
It’s safe to say that Michigan State needs to win this game. Regardless of if they make the NCAA Tournament or not, which is still very much up in the air, the Spartans need to build momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament. A win against Minnesota could do just that.
Tyson Walker’s scored 20 points in each of the first two games, and I think he’ll do that again. I also think he’ll get some more help from guys like Jaden Akins and AJ Hoggard on the offensive end as well. The Spartans’ defense will stay strong, and MSU will win a tight one and cement themselves in the NCAA Tournament.
Final score: Michigan State 71, Minnesota 64
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