Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from tight win over Minnesota

1. Michigan State proved it can win ugly

While winning games the ugly way is never what you want, it does prove that when things get tough, you can still get the job done without panicking.

The Spartans proved that they could win an ugly game which came down to the wire which was something they hadn't quite faced much this season. In fact, they had 10 wins coming into Thursday night's game and none were decided by at least 12 points. The average win margin for the Spartans this year has been wide but that was tested against the Gophers.

Sure, Michigan State still won by double figures, but in all of the previous wins, it wasn't tested all that much down the stretch. Even in the Big Ten wins, Michigan State beat Penn State by 31 and Rutgers by 18. Those games were decided late in the first half or early in the second so there was no adversity to face down the stretch.

Proving that they can win ugly is a big deal for the Spartans and it's going to help in other close games during Big Ten play and into March.