WISCONSIN BADGERS

Trice has new view of UW-MSU rivalry

Jeff Potrykus
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin guard D’Mitrik Trice, the Badgers' top reserve, goes to the hoop against UW-Green Bay.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 2015 Big Ten title game remains among the more memorable moments in the history of the Wisconsin basketball program.

UW freshman guard D’Mitrik Trice has a different perspective when he recalls how UW rallied to defeat Michigan State, 80-69, in overtime at the United Center in Chicago.

“It was painful,” Trice said.

Painful?

At the time Trice was a Michigan State fan. The reason? His older brother, Travis Trice, was a senior on that Michigan State team that blew an 11-point lead in the final seven-plus minutes of regulation before going scoreless in overtime.

“It’s all good now,” D’Mitrik Trice said with a smile. “It’s a little different.”

Trice, who once bled Spartan green, is now in the enemy camp and is eager to return to the Breslin Center when UW (22-6, 11-4 Big Ten) faces Michigan State (17-11, 9-6) at 3 p.m. Sunday.

“I am excited," said Trice, who last year attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., after graduating from Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio. "I have that game circled on my calendar. My whole family is going to come up.”

History suggests Michigan State, which relies heavily on four touted freshmen, will find a way to continue its home dominance of the Badgers.

UW has lost its last nine games at the Breslin Center, by an average margin of 10.3 points. The Badgers did not play at Michigan State in the Final Four seasons of 2013-'14 and 2014-'15 and their last victory at the Breslin Center came in the 2003-'04 season.

The closest UW came to ending the streak was a 64-61 overtime loss in 2011.

UW held a 53-44 lead with 2 minutes 37 seconds left in regulation after two free throws by Jordan Taylor, but the Spartans closed with a 9-0 run and then held UW to one point in the last 2:24 of the overtime.

Told about the nine-game losing streak, Trice said:

“Oh wow. This is the year to stop that streak.”

If not this season, when?

When the teams met in East Lansing last season, Michigan State built a 14-3 lead 6:35 into the game, led by as much as 22 points in the second half and won easily, 69-57.

UW senior Nigel Hayes, who hit just 1 of 13 shots in the loss, remembers the slow start against the Spartans and the feeling of battling uphill all night.

“It felt like were down 30 the entire game,” he said.

The seven players who combined for all 69 points and 32 of the Spartans’ 38 rebounds that night will not play Sunday.

Denzel Valentine (24 points, seven rebounds), Bryn Forbes (17 points, four rebounds), Deoynta Davis (six points, nine rebounds), Matt Costello (four points, seven rebounds) and Coby Wallenman (two points) are no longer with the program.

Eron Harris (10 points) and Gavin Schilling (six points, five rebounds) are injured.

Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in a 17-point loss to Purdue, but the Spartans responded Thursday by routing visiting Nebraska, 88-72.

Four freshmen led the way with a combined 64 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists.

Miles Bridges and Nick Ward scored 20 points apiece. Joshua Langford added 17, and Cassius Winston contributed seven points, eight assists and three steals.

“They had an unfortunate injury,” Hayes said, referring to the loss of Harris, “but they’ll find a way to rally. Guys will step up. We know it is tough to play there.”

The stakes are clear. Michigan State, playing its final regular-season home game, is still battling to secure an NCAA Tournament berth. UW enters the day one-half game behind first-place Purdue (23-6, 12-4), which suffered an 82-70 loss Saturday at Michigan.

"Every game is important," said UW senior guard Bronson Koenig, who scored 12 points in the 12-point loss to the Spartans last season. "We’re still playing for a Big Ten title and a higher seed in the (NCAA) Tournament."

Jeff Potrykus can be reached at jpotrykus@journalsentinel.com or twitter.com/jaypo1961.