It wasn't easy -- it never is in Iowa City -- but Michigan State basketball came from behind after trailing by as many as 14 in the first half to beat Iowa on their home floor on Senior Night, 91-84.
The Spartans had some flashbacks to two years ago as the Hawkeyes started knocking down three after three in the final minutes but Michigan State held on after scoring a whopping 61 second-half points, out-dueling Iowa big-time in the final 15 minutes of the game.
It felt like Iowa was going to be a thorn in the Spartans' sides all night as they held a double-digit lead with 15 minutes left in the game but Michigan State would not go away.
What did we learn from this outright Big Ten title-clinching win?
1. Guard play was fantastic after a rough start
Going into the game, everyone knew Iowa was awful at one thing: defending the paint. So what group of players showed up and showed out for Michigan State? The guards, of course.
It didn't make a ton of sense, but after a slow start, Michigan State's guards dominated in the second half -- well, Jase Richardson dominated all game. Jaden Akins bounced back from a really slow start to finish with 15 points, four assists, two rebounds, and a steal, Jeremy Fears Jr. added 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals, Jase Richardson scored 22 with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal, and a confident Tre Holloman had 11 points, four assists, and a steal off the bench.
Without this four-man group of guards, Michigan State doesn't win on Thursday night and clinch the outright Big Ten title. If they continue to play like this, no one is stopping MSU.
2. Coen Carr's heroics cannot be overlooked
If you're a Coen Carr believer, you were more than vindicated on Thursday night as he put up some ridiculous defensive numbers and was just an all-around force that helped spark a second-half run.
Not only was he throwing down dunks, per usual, but he was locking down on the defensive end with four (!!) blocks and five rebounds. He did have two offensive boards so they weren't all on the defensive end, but he made some serious winning plays down the stretch that got Michigan State over the hump and into the lead for good.
Carr deserves his flowers.
3. MSU needs to tighten up at the free throw line
Thankfully the game from two years ago wasn't repeated because we would know exactly what to blame for the loss: missed free throws.
After going a horrendous 6-of-13 from the line in a win over Wisconsin on Sunday, Michigan State returned to action with a mediocre 20-for-30 performance on Thursday night at Iowa. Going 26-for-43 from the line over the past two games is majorly uncharacteristic for a top-five free throw shooting team in the nation and that needs to be corrected before the NCAA Tournament.
Fortunately, Tom Izzo is the head coach and he won't let this free throw drought continue. You know they'll be living at the line all weekend heading up to the Michigan game.