Game 23: Michigan State at Michigan Recap

Michigan was Michigan again and eager to prove it on Saturday afternoon.

Isaiah Livers was back, and Zavier Simpson’s controversy was in the past. The Wolverines desperately needed a victory after a mid-week home defeat, but the team that had beat them four times in a row was waiting at the Crisler Center.

There was no sugarcoating the stakes, a loss would have sunk Michigan to 4-8 in the league with five road games remaining. The Wolverines played like the more desperate team, they got to more loose balls, rebounded more misses, and outplayed the team that made easy work of them just over a month ago.

It was a balanced scoring effort, with all eight players scoring at least four points, but the story was in the backcourt. Zavier Simpson’s shooting and Eli Brooks’ defense carried the day as the Wolverines finally figured out how to slow down Cassius Winston.