Coming off a stretch where Michigan State had lost three of four games, a gauntlet laid before them. Over a six day stretch, they were to face Illinois on the road, Purdue at home, and at Michigan. What might have seemed near impossible for most teams, the Spartans made look easy, ticking off three consecutive victories, all of which were won by a margin of nine points or more.

In their 75-62 victory over Michigan on Friday night, it was elite play from guards Tre Holloman and Jase Richardson that carried the Spartans over a feisty Michigan team - and rowdy crowd - at Crisler Arena. The duo combined for 39 points and simply outclassed the Wolverine back court Friday night.

Games in this in-state rivalry always carry a certain amount of weight, but when first place in the conference standings is also at stake, it takes a special kind of effort in order to get the job done. Especially on the road.

While the meaning of this game isn’t new for fans of Michigan State, for freshman guard Jase Richardson, this was his first true taste of of the heated rivalry.

“You’re not supposed to like those guys, said Richardson after the game. "This rivalry … now that I’m actually playing it, it is really special.”

You would never be able to guess by his performance on Friday that Jase is still in his first year in Tom Izzo's program. His composure, confidence, and feel for the game is something that separates him from other freshmen.

“I don’t think he gets nervous," Izzo said following his team's 21st win of the season. "If Michael (Jordan), Larry (Bird), and Magic (Johnson) came back, I don’t think it would bother him. I mean I’m not saying he can do everything, but … he is so mature beyond his years.”

On Friday night, it seemed that he could do just about everything on the offensive side of the ball. From the opening tip, Richardson was heavily involved for the Spartans, hitting a step-back triple on Michigan State’s first possession and never looking back. He finished the game leading the team in scoring with 21 points, shooting 7-12 from the field and 5-6 from the FT line.

Down the stretch in the second half, when Michigan had gained the momentum, Jase hit contested jumpers on back-to-back possessions, never allowing the Wolverines to get closer than three points. It was these buckets that helped Michigan State turn back Michigan's last push to win the game and remain in first place in the Big Ten standings.

Being the son of Spartan legend Jason Richardson, it was clear that Jase, despite this being his first game versus Michigan, knew what kind of focus and attention to detail it would take to come away with a victory.

“Growing up, I used to watch all the games, football, basketball, I watched it all," said Richardson." So you know, growing up, learning this rivalry, then finally getting to play in it, its really special.”

Thus far this season, no game, opponent, or situation has seemed to faze Richardson. And on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, the freshman guard performed well beyond his years.

“Jase Richardson was phenomenal," said Izzo. "He was good defensively, he didn’t turn the ball over, he gets shots, he makes plays. (He) doesn’t act like a freshman, sophomore, or junior; he acts like a senior half the time and credit goes to him. I think he took another big step today.”

Richardson wasn’t alone when it comes to stand out performances from the Spartan guards.

Tre Holloman also contributed 18 points of his own, scoring from all three levels. It was Holloman’s back-to-back-to-back three-pointers midway through the second half that that pushed the Spartans’ lead to 57-49.