Five Takeaways: Michigan State's defense smothers Wolverines in 59-53 win

The Spartans were locked in defensively, making it a very tough afternoon for their in-state rival...

Things got a little uncomfortable down the stretch for Michigan State, but in the end the Spartans' excellent defensive effort lifted them to a 59-53 win over in-state rival Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams struggled offensively for much of the first half, as shots refused to fall and the teams combined for 16 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. In the end, Michigan State was more balanced and ran better sets on their offensive possessions, and that proved to be the difference.

Here are five takeaways from today's game...

1.) MSU's smothering defense

The Spartans were outstanding defensively today against Michigan. The Wolverines got no easy baskets, and were uncomfortable throughout the game.

Michigan came into today's game averaging about 9.5 turnovers per game. They had nine at halftime, and finished with 10. The Wolverines were held to 35 percent shooting from the field, and a paltry 15 percent from three-point territory.

Whether it was shutting down dribble drives, switching on balls screens or rotations, Michigan State was locked in on the defensive end throughout the day and shut the Wolverines down.

2.) Defending Dickinson

Michigan junior center Hunter Dickinson is one of the most disliked (or flat-out hated) Wolverines by MSU fans. He's regularly demonstrative on the court, and makes no balms about taking shots at opposing fan bases, players or coaches on social media.

It was clear immediately that Michigan State was not going to let Dickinson beat them. The Spartans routinely threw double teams his way, and didn't care if he gave the ball up to open shooters. In the first half, Dickinson spread the ball around to the perimeter, but the Wolverines were dreadful in their outside shooting.

Before the game, I predicted that if MSU held Dickinson below 20 points and under 60 percent from the field, the Spartans would win. Dickinson finished with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting.

3.) Spartans' shooting woes

All-in-all, it was a pretty poor shooting day for Michigan State, which had ample opportunity to blow this game wide open if not for a plethora of misses on open jumpshots.

For the game, the Spartans shot just 38 percent from the floor (21-of-56) and 32 percent from three-point range (6-of-19). After five turnovers in the opening minutes of the game, MSU finished with 12 for the game, but surrendered just six points off those giveaways.

Joey Hauser in particular had a rough shooting day, going 3-for-13 overall and 1-for-7 from three. He finished with seven points and 10 rebounds. Also, Jaden Akins was just 1-of-5 from the floor, finishing with six points and four rebounds.

Maybe the Spartans were a little too amped up for this game. Hopefully they'll find their stroke again when they go on the road next week.

4.) Malik Hall provides a spark

Michigan State had a hard time getting going offensively in this one. The Spartans air-balled several open three-point attempts and had five turnovers in the opening minutes alone.

However, MSU started to settle in offensively late in the first half, led by small forward Malik Hall. The junior went on a 5-0 run by himself to put the Spartans up 19-14 — a lead that Michigan State would never relinquish. Hall also knocked down a pair of free throws to end the half, after he was bumped into the Michigan bench by Jace Howard. That increased MSU's lead to nine at the break.

Hall added a pair od clutch free throws down the stretch and finished his day with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, adding three rebounds. The junior was also very good defensively for the Spartans.

5.) A.J. Hoggard — calm, cool and collected

While Dickinson is the unquestioned emotional leader for the Wolverines, that role belongs to A.J. Hoggard for the Spartans. Today, the junior played an under control, smart and physical brand of basketball, and that's just what Michigan State needs.

Hoggard finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and handed out six assists while turning the ball over just once. Throw in four rebounds and two steals and it was a well-rounded solid performance by the point guard.

On a side note, I'll give a nod to senior shooting guard Tyson Walker, who wasn't at his best today but knocked down some timely shots to finish with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting.

Up Next

After enjoying the friendly confines of the Breslin Center this past week, Michigan State hits the road for a couple tough matchups. First, the Spartans will travel to Madison to face No. 14 Wisconsin, who ... The basketball rivalry between Michigan State and Wisconsin is one of the most underrated in college basketball.

The Spartans will then travel to Illinois, who got off to a surprising 0-3 start in Big Ten play. You can be sure the Fighting Illini will be looking to get back on track against MSU.