4 months ago
- Spartans
- Published: Jan. 05, 2026, 6:00 a.m.
Michigan State’s first Big Ten nonaccomplishment of nan play was followed by a tribunal storming.
No. 13 Nebraska continued its champion commencement successful programme history pinch a 58-56 triumph against nan No. 9 Spartans connected Friday night arsenic a chunk of nan sellout crowd flooded onto nan Pinnacle Bank Arena floor.
“I perfectly loved it,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told reporters after. “I was hoping I sewage stomped on, to beryllium very honorable pinch you.”
The Spartans (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) return to East Lansing for a three-game homestand that originates by hosting No. 24 USC (12-2, 1-2) connected Monday (8:30 p.m., FS1). They’ll beryllium looking to cleanable up a batch of errors from nan nonaccomplishment successful Lincoln, including committing a season-high 19 turnovers.
“We didn’t look for illustration we had nan toughness,” Izzo said aft nan nonaccomplishment while making a shot reference. “The toughest squad won. We didn’t make large plays down nan stretch.”
Michigan State’s unexpected tally to winning nan Big Ten by 3 games past play included going undefeated successful December and January for nan first clip successful Izzo’s 3 decades starring nan program. The first convention nonaccomplishment came astatine USC connected Feb. 1, 2025, to moreover nan all-time bid astatine 4-4 and nan teams will quadrate disconnected successful East Lansing for nan first clip since 1953.
In their 2nd play arsenic a Big Ten member, nan Trojans opened a Midwest travel pinch a 96-66 nonaccomplishment connected Friday nighttime astatine unbeaten No. 2 Michigan, which has been destroying nan competition.
USC defender Rodney Rice had season-ending enarthrosis room past period while nan squad is led by defender Chad Baker-Mazara, an Auburn transportation nan Spartans mislaid to successful nan Elite Eight past play who is averaging 20.4 points. Utah transportation guardant Ezra Ausar is scoring 16.9 per crippled pinch 5.8 rebounds.
Michigan State remains led by its 4 seasoned captains who are each averaging double-digit scoring. Senior guardant Jaxon Kohler has been nan astir accordant subordinate astatine 14.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per crippled pinch 9 double-doubles successful 14 outings. He deed a career-high 5 3-pointers astatine Nebraska but had only 5 points successful nan 2nd half arsenic nan Cornhuskers adjusted defensively.
“If I recovered immoderate metallic lining successful an perfectly acheronian could,” Izzo said, “we weren’t playing very bully astir of nan game, successful my humble opinion, and we still were successful there.”
Nebraska is simply a much-improved squad this play and rode a raucous location crowd to a immense triumph to footwear disconnected nan weekend. Michigan State near municipality knowing it could person played amended while letting a imaginable large roadworthy triumph gaffe away.
“The only measurement things thief you is if you respond,” Izzo said. “I’m a small concerned that we made immoderate mistakes that we shouldn’t make, truthful a mates guys sewage to get conscionable a small much grinding and we’ll get that.”
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Matt Wenzel has been nan Michigan State shot hit writer for MLive since 2017 and besides covers men's and women's basketball, lucky and different sports.
