4 months ago
- Spartans
- Published: Jan. 05, 2026, 10:56 p.m.
EAST LANSING – It didn’t return agelong for Michigan State to shingle disconnected its first Big Ten nonaccomplishment of nan season.
The No. 12 Spartans built a double-digit lead successful nan first half and cruised to an 80-51 triumph against USC connected Monday nighttime astatine nan Breslin Center.
Three days aft a two-point nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska, Michigan State (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) avenged past year’s conclusion successful Los Angeles by throttling nan Trojans successful their first travel to East Lansing successful 72 years. Coach Tom Izzo’s veterans stepped up arsenic Jeremy Fears, Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler mixed for 49 points.
Kohler’s streak of 5 consecutive double-doubles came to an extremity but it was different awesome capacity by nan elder forward. He made each six section goals, including 3 from beyond nan arc, to decorativeness pinch 16 points and 8 rebounds.
Carr scored 14 of his 18 points successful nan 2nd half while Fears vanished pinch 15 points and 7 assists. Divine Ugochukwu returned to nan starting lineup aft missing nan nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska owed to unwellness and had 5 points.
Michigan State tallied 16 points disconnected 17 USC turnovers and its chair outscored nan Trojans 21-9.
USC arrived successful Michigan past week classed No. 24 successful nan federation and heads location aft a disastrous trip. The Trojans mislaid by 30 successful Ann Arbor connected Friday nighttime earlier getting throttled an hr down nan road.
Ezra Ausar led nan Trojans pinch 16 points while Jerry Easter scored 12. Chad Baker-Mazara entered nan crippled starring nan squad successful scoring astatine 20.4 per crippled but didn’t commencement and scored only 4 disconnected nan chair successful 18 minutes.
In a speedy turnaround pursuing Friday’s 58-56 nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska, Michigan State fell down 5-0 connected Monday night. The Spartans answered pinch a 10-0 tally while USC missed 13 of 14 shots and went scoreless for 6:01.
Fears deed back-to-back jumpers and Cam Ward threw down a slam pursuing an violative rebound to springiness Michigan State its first double-digit lead. A speedy 8-0 spurt capped by consecutive triples by Kohler gave Michigan State a 27-11 advantage arsenic USC called timeout pinch 5:52 remaining successful nan half.
The Spartans led by arsenic galore arsenic 19 earlier going scoreless for nan last 2:52 of nan half to return a 33-17 lead into nan locker room. Kohler scored 8 to lead 8 different scorers while freshman Jordan Scott scored five. Ausar and Easter some had six points to lead USC, which changeable conscionable 21.4 percent (6-for-28) from nan level successful nan opening 20 minutes.
Carr provided different ridiculous item pinch a ridiculous, two-handed dunk complete a brace of Trojans while drafting a foul early successful nan 2nd half. Fears was progressive connected some ends of nan level and scored 9 successful little than six minutes coming retired of nan break arsenic nan Spartans led by 25.
With nan crippled retired of reach, 1 of nan second-half highlights progressive a notable erstwhile Spartan connected an Izzone alumni night. Paul Davis, a erstwhile standout Michigan State halfway sitting a fewer rows disconnected nan floor, apparently said thing an charismatic didn’t for illustration and was ejected pinch six minutes to play.
Michigan State will proceed a three-game homestand by hosting Northwestern (8-6, 0-3) connected Thursday (6:30 p.m., BTN). The Wildcats person mislaid 5 of 8 and are coming disconnected an 84-78 conclusion astatine location against Minnesota connected Saturday.
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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.
