HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

No. 20 Michigan 79, No. 14 Michigan State 70: Nik Stauskas scored 21 of his 25 points in a torrid second half to lift the host Wolverines back into first place in the Big Ten.

Stauskas finished 9-of-13 the floor and hit all three of his 3-pointers after halftime, keying a decisive 21-4 outburst by Michigan (19-7, 11-3 Big Ten), which turned the ball over a season-low three times. Caris LeVert scored 23 points and Glenn Robinson III added 15 as the Wolverines swept the season series against their rivals for the second time in the last four seasons.

Gary Harris led the Spartans (22-6, 11-4) with 21 points while Adreian Payne had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Denzel Valentine had 11 of his 13 points in the first half and led all players with six assists in defeat.

A 3-pointer by Stauskas midway through the second half gave Michigan a 54-52 lead and it never trailed again, going up seven when Stauskas drained another trey moments later and moving ahead 64-52 with seven minutes to go on five quick points from LeVert. The Spartans had one basket - a banked 3-pointer by Harris - in a span of nearly nine minutes of the second half and fell behind 72-61 when Stauskas connected with Robinson on an alley-oop that sent the crowd into a frenzy with 2:35 left.

The Spartans hit nine of their first 13 shots and opened a 22-11 lead on Payne's three-point play midway through the first half, but LeVert scored six points in the final 39 seconds of the frame to get the hosts within 36-34 at intermission. A 3-pointer by Harris with just under 15 minutes remaining gave Michigan State a 48-43 advantage before Stauskas scored the first 11 points of the decisive burst as Michigan seized control.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Wolverines have won four straight meetings at home. ... Valentine also grabbed eight rebounds to help the Spartans gain a 31-24 advantage on the boards. ... Michigan State returns home to host Illinois on Saturday, while Michigan visits Purdue on Wednesday.