Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from dominant win over Wisconsin

1. Closing strong is as important as starting fast

Michigan State jumped out to a big lead over Wisconsin on Friday night, taking a 10-2 lead in the first few minutes. The Spartans kept that momentum, building a 15-point lead by halftime and then extending that to 25 in the second half.

The Spartans had moments of weakness, allowing a few runs from the Badgers, but they were consistent for the most part, dominating all aspects of the game.

With about six minutes left, Michigan State held its largest lead at 67-42 but the Badgers clawed their way back, piecing together a 13-0 run. Wisconsin made the final score look much more respectable than how the game actually played out and that had a lot to do with the lack of that killer instinct in the final minutes.

Michigan State learned that closing strong is every bit as important as getting out to a quick start and if the Spartans were able to do both on Friday, the game would have likely finished with a 30-point difference.

These final six minutes were incredibly disappointing and while it might be ridiculous to point to something negative after a 12-point win over a hot Wisconsin team, a poor final stretch like that could lead into the next game.