MICHIGAN STATE 69, WISCONSIN 55: Draymond Green posted his conference-leading 14th double-double of the season as the No. 8 Spartans used a suffocating defense to defeat the No. 17 Badgers and move back into a first-place tie atop the Big Ten.

Green finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as Michigan State (20-5, 10-3) improved to 16-0 at the Breslin Center and answered co-conference leader Ohio State’s win earlier in the week with a dominating defense that held Wisconsin (19-7, 8-5) to 34 percent shooting from the field.

The Spartans, who have won all but one of their home games by double digits, took control of the game for good midway through the first half as Green scored seven points during a 14-0 run that turned a three-point deficit into a 22-12 advantage.

Wisconsin, which trailed by as many as 21 points with seven minutes remaining in the game, made a valiant comeback over the next 3:44 to move to within 60-51, but Michigan State hit nine of its final 12 free throws to close out the game.

Ryan Evans scored 17 points to lead the Badgers, who saw their four-game road winning streak come to an end.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Spartans made a concerted effort to punish the Badgers inside, outscoring them 26-12 in the paint and converting six of their eight three-point play opportunities. … Green’s two steals moved him into sole possession of fifth place on the school’s all-time list. He already has the fourth-highest rebounding and third-highest blocked shot totals in Michigan State history.