Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from avoidable loss at Wisconsin

MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 01: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans dribbles the ball while being guarded by Nate Reuvers #35 and D'Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at the Kohl Center on February 01, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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Avoidable is the nicest word to use to describe Michigan State basketball’s one-point loss at Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon. What’d we learn?

When it’s not your day, it’s just not your day. Michigan State could tell early on that things were going its way as it found itself in a 16-point hole at the half, but the Spartans turned it around in the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Badgers 36-21, but it was too little too late.

Losing 64-63 against an undermanned Wisconsin team was disappointing, unavoidable and was a straight-up black eye for the Spartans’ tournament resume.

For a team that began the season ranked No. 1 in the country, losses at Purdue, at Indiana and now at Wisconsin will hurt their chances of getting a top-three seed.

Wisconsin didn’t play particularly well in the second half and still held on for a one-point win thanks to some Michigan State mishaps — including a handful of missed layups and unforced turnovers.

What’d we learn from the Spartans’ ugly loss?

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