Nik Stauskas scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half, repeatedly making contested shots from the perimeter to help the 20th-ranked Wolverines to a 79-70 win over the 13th-ranked Spartans on Sunday.
Michigan rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit and wrested first place in the Big Ten from its in-state rival.
Caris LeVert added 23 points for the Wolverines (19-7, 11-3), who won both regular-season meetings against Michigan State. Michigan has now won six of its last eight in the series.