Michigan State Upsets No. 2 Michigan to Boost NCAA Tournament Hopes

It's been a difficult 2020–21 season for Tom Izzo and Michigan State, but it appears as though the Spartans are hitting their stride at the right time.

Izzo's squad previously logged wins over No. 4 Illinois and No. 7 Ohio State in February prior to Sunday's matchup against No. 2 Michigan. And Michigan State continued its hot stretch against its intrastate rival.

Michigan State earned a 70-64 victory on Sunday as it hosted the Wolverines at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Junior forward Aaron Henry tallied 18 points in the victory, while sophomore guard Robert Watts led all scores with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field.

2️⃣1️⃣ on the day for @RocketWatts for @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/RW47TfHxEI
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 7, 2021

Michigan's high-octane offense struggled mightily on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines shot just 41.7 percent from the field, making just seven of 22 threes in the contest. Sunday's loss dropped Michigan to 19–3 (14–3 Big Ten) on the season.

Michigan State's recent hot streak has kept its NCAA tournament hopes alive after a dismal start to the season. The Spartans sat as one of the last four teams projected to make the tournament in Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney's latest bracket projection on March 5.

Sunday marked the conclusion of the Big Ten regular season. The 2021 Big Ten Tournament is slated to begin on Wednesday,