No. 9 Wisconsin rallies past No. 11 Michigan State to snap 12-game losing streak in East Lansing

Somewhere, Devin Harris, Mike Wilkinson and their former Wisconsin teammates were smiling.

Wisconsin's streak of frustration at Michigan State's Breslin Center – 12 consecutive losses, including eight by double digits – has been extinguished.

Finally.

Seniors D’Mitrik Trice and Nate Reuvers were fabulous in the second half Friday to help No. 9 Wisconsin overcome a nine-point deficit and snap a 12-game losing streak at Michigan State with an impressive 85-76 victory over the No. 11 Spartans.

Before Friday, the last time the Badgers won in the Breslin Center was March 2, 2004, as Harris and Wilkinson scored 18 points apiece.

This Wisconson team, 2-0 in the Big Ten and 8-1 overall, won once more with balance.

"The one thing they have going for them is experience," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said before the game. "I do think they are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team.

"When you have six seniors on your team that are in the playing group, all five starters, a couple of redshirt guys. These guys have been around longer than I have. Some of them came into the league when I started in the league."

Trice hit 7 of 14 shots and finished with 29 points. He scored Wisconsin's first 13 points of the second half to help the Badgers wipe out a 51-42 deficit.

Reuvers was invisible in the first half but scored all eight of his points in the final 7 minutes 37 seconds of the game and contributed two huge blocks.

Aleem Ford contributed 13 points, four rebounds and two assists. Brad Davison and Micah Potter added 11 points apiece. Potter added six rebounds and five assists. Davison added four rebounds and four assists.

Jonathan Davis (seven points), Tyler Wahl (four points) and Trevor Anderson (two points) all made big plays.

"It is a game we look forward to," Davison said before the game. "It is a game that for us seniors, us old guys in the locker room, we’ve never won at the Breslin Center.

"It is a game we have circle for that (reason)."

Redshirt junior forward Joey Hauser, who sat out last season after transferring from Marquette, didn’t miss a shot in the opening half when he contributed 11 points and four rebounds. He finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Wisconson hit 17 of 21 free throws in the second half and 23 of 30 overall.

The competitive first half had plenty off offense, not so much defense, too many early turnovers but plenty of action.

Wisconsin's biggest lead was five points; Michigan State’s biggest lead was three. There were nine ties.

The Badgers turned the ball over on each of their first four possessions but finished the half with only five and scored 14 points on seven Michigan State turnovers.

Ford powered Wisconsin early by scoring his team’s first seven points.

Hauser was the man for the Spartans throughout the half and carried the Spartans (6-2, 0-2) with 11 points and four rebounds. He hit his lone three-point attempt, hit all 2 two-point attempts and both free-throw attempts.

The final minute illustrated the closeness and back-and-fourth nature of the game.

Davison buried a three-pointer late in the shot clock to give Wisconsin a 42-39 lead with 19 seconds left.

Foster Loyer answered with a three-pointer with three seconds left to forge the tie.

The Spartans opened the second half with a 9-0 run, sparked in part by the work inside of Thomas Kithier, for a 51-42 lead.

The Badgers missed their first five shots of the half but Trice hit a three-pointer to pull Wisconsin within 51-45 with 16:08 left.

That was the start of a personal 13-point run for Trice, who lifted the Badgers into a 53-53 tie with a basket and then within 56-55 with two free throws.

Tyler Wahl scored in the lane to give Wisconsin the lead back, 57-56, with 11:53 left.

Game on.

Reuvers got his first basket with 7:37 left to give Wisconsin a 63-62 lead. He added two free throws and another basket to push the lead to 67-62 with 6:21 left.

Reuvers added another basket on jumper for a 75-69 lead and Wisconsin pushed the lead to 77-69 with 1:35 left when Ford saved the ball from going out of bounds and Trice fed Davis for a basket.

Hauser’s basket and free throw with 58.3 seconds left cut Wisconsin's lead to just 78-74.

Hauser added two free throws with 29.7 seconds left to again bring the Spartans within four, at 80-76.

Potter, an 84.4% free-throw shooter, made 1 of 2 attempts with 22.5 seconds left and Hauser turned the ball over with 15.2 seconds left when he slipped trying to drive.

Game over. 

Streak over. 

On to next.