EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Playing as the newly crowned Big Ten regular season champions, Michigan State finished their regular season on Senior Day with a decisive win over rival Michigan, 79-62. The win didn’t come without chippiness between the two teams.

A senior tradition of kissing midcourt of the Breslin Center in the final game almost turned into a brawl. With 37.2 seconds left, Tre Holloman, who had a career-high 20 points, and Michigan guard Phat Phat Brooks had an exchange at midcourt. Brooks and L.J. Carson were standing at midcourt when Hollomon approached them, most likely to move for the tradition, and Brooks gave Holloman a push. This led to a minor altercation as Michigan’s head coach, Dusty May, and MSU assistant coaches had to separate the players. Technical fouls were assessed to both teams and MSU was allowed to continue their tradition.

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MSU head coach Tom Izzo said after the game on Holloman, “I hope … that Tre Holloman becomes a household name because of his basketball play. He’s a light heavyweight, so I don’t think he’d last long in the ring with anybody.”

The Spartans opened up a 20-6 lead in the first eight minutes and held Michigan under double digits until the 10:15 mark, 21-11. At 6:35, MSU’s Jase Richardson hit a three-pointer for an 18-point lead, 33-15. Richardson made it a 20-point lead, 45-25, on a dunk at 1:48 and had a 22-point lead at the half, 50-28.

Early in the second half, MSU pushed its lead to 25 points, 61-36, before Michigan brought it down to 11, 61-50, with 9:23 to go. MSU responded with a Richardson three-pointer and Holloman jumper, moving the lead back to 15 points, 69-54. Michigan came no closer the rest of the way. The Spartans, ranked no. 8, finish the regular season at 26-5 and 17-3 in the Big Ten.

Senior Jaden Akins said after the game about winning the Big Ten Championship, “It was my last year here and I wanted to be able to win something and I feel like winning the championship, was trying to do more but I am going to enjoy this. Knowing that that banner is going to be hanging in the building. We are going to get our names outside by the Magic statue too.”

MSU will now wait to see who they play in the post season Big Ten Tournament later this week.