EAST LANSING — Zack Novak didn't want to lose. It might have been that simple Thursday night in the Michigan basketball team's 61-57 win over Michigan State.

His shooting kept the Wolverines in the game and he led Michigan to victory in East Lansing for the first time since 1997.

For that, he is one of AnnArbor.com's Three Stars of the Game. Who joined him? Click the jump to find out.

First Star — Zack Novak, Michigan
Novak was unbelievable in the first half. He hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions as part of a Michigan run that gave the Wolverines a 20-16 lead it would never relinquish. Novak also grabbed six rebounds and made six of eight 3-pointers — both season-highs. The six 3-pointers in a game tied a career high for Novak.

Second Star — Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
The heart of Michigan State’s team almost led the Spartans back, scoring 27 points including seven on a 13-2 Spartans run that cut the Michigan lead to two, 57-55. He was 10-of-18 shooting, made all six of his free throws and put Michigan State on his back when he needed to.

Third Star — Darius Morris, Michigan
The sophomore point guard had his best game in the Big Ten, scoring 17 points, grabbing four rebounds and creating eight assists. Freshman forward Tim Hardaway Jr. went a step further, calling it his best game of the season. Morris played like the Morris who was challenging for the most improved player in the country, regardless of conference, during the non-conference schedule. He was poised and made smart decisions.

Three Stars Season Tally:
Darius Morris, Michigan: 10
Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan: 7
Zack Novak, Michigan: 7
Jordan Morgan, Michigan: 4
Evan Smotrycz, Michigan: 2
Stu Douglass, Michigan: 2
Jon Horford, Michigan: 1
Jeff Meyer, Michigan assistant coach: 1
Matt Vogrich, Michigan: 1
Brady Hoke, Michigan football coach: 1
Rocko Holmes, Concordia: 1
Marcus Morris, Kansas: 1
Markieff Morris, Kansas: 1
Keith Wright, Harvard: 1
Jordan Hulls, Indiana: 1
Verdell Jones III, Indiana: 1
Kalin Lucas, Michigan State: 1
Blake Hoffarber, Minnesota: 1
Rodney Williams, Minnesota: 1
Landon Clement, North Carolina Central: 1
John Shurna, Northwestern: 1
Juice Thompson, Northwestern: 1
Luka Mirkovic, Northwestern: 1
David Lighty, Ohio State: 1
Talor Battle, Penn State: 1
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: 1
Ryne Smith, Purdue: 1
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse: 1
Kris Joseph, Syracuse: 1
Randy Culpepper, UTEP: 1
John Bohannon, UTEP: 1
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin: 1
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin: 1
The rims at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.: 1

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.