5 months ago
- Spartans
- Published: Jan. 02, 2026, 11:25 p.m.
Michigan State is nan latest unfortunate of nan champion commencement successful Nebraska hoops history.
The No. 9 Spartans mislaid 58-56 astatine No. 13 Nebraska connected Friday nighttime arsenic nan Cornhuskers extended nan longest winning streak successful nan federation and a sellout crowd astatine Pinnacle Bank Arena stormed nan floor.
Michigan State (13-1, 2-1 Big Ten) led by 3 points pinch little than 4 minutes to play but missed its last six section goals arsenic Nebraska (14-0, 3-0) inched distant for nan win. Center Carson Cooper went to nan free propulsion statement pinch a chance to necktie nan crippled pinch 0.7 seconds near but missed nan beforehand extremity and past intentionally bricked nan second.
The Spartans, who committed a season-high 19 turnovers, were led by Jaxon Kohler’s 5th consecutive double-double. He deed a career-high 5 3-pointers while scoring 19 pinch 11 rebounds. Jeremy Fears scored 10 of his 14 points from nan statement and added 7 assists while Kur Teng was 4-for-15 from nan level while scoring 12.
Rienk Mast deed six triples while starring Nebraska pinch 19 points, Pryce Sandfort scored 13 earlier fouling retired precocious and Jamar Lawrence chipped successful 12.
Michigan State, which wrapped up nonconference play pinch a triumph against Cornell connected Monday, was shorthanded from nan commencement successful its 2nd existent roadworthy crippled of nan season. Divine Ugochukwu, who started nan past 4 games astatine shooting guard, was retired owed to unwellness and replaced successful nan first 5 by Teng.
Amid an amped situation successful Lincoln, Michigan State and Nebraska mixed to shooting 2-for-13 from nan level to commencement nan crippled pinch 4 of those attempts by Teng. Sandfort scored nan first 5 points for nan Cornhuskers earlier going to nan chair pinch 2 fouls little than six minutes in.
Mast much than picked up nan slack by hitting 5 3-pointers for 15 points successful nan first half arsenic nan teams mixed to deed 15 from beyond nan arc and were tied astatine 33 heading into nan locker room.
Kohler countered by scoring 14 successful nan opening 20 minutes while making each 5 section goals, including 4 triples, though nan Spartans committed 10 turnovers earlier nan break.
Both teams mislaid starters early successful nan 2nd half owed to picking up their 3rd foul successful Michigan State’s Coen Carr and Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg. They besides resumed their shooting woes and nan Spartans continued coughing up nan shot pinch 7 turnovers amid a astir six-minute span arsenic Nebraska went connected a 10-0 tally for its biggest lead of nan crippled astatine 47-38 midway done nan half.
Despite going 7 minutes without making a section goal, Michigan State remained wrong striking region and past went connected a 15-5 tally pursuing a method foul connected Wisconsin’s Braden Frager for taunting Fears aft hitting a triple. That gave nan Spartans a 55-52 lead pinch little than 4 minutes to play.
Then nan Cornhuskers went connected a 6-0 tally capped by Mast’s sixth triple of nan nighttime for a three-point advantage. With little than a infinitesimal to play, Fears committed Michigan State’s 19th turnover of nan game. The Spartans couldn’t person from nan section precocious and Cooper missing nan first free propulsion pinch little than a 2nd to play fundamentally sealed nan loss.
Michigan State, nan defending Big Ten champion that started 9-0 successful convention play past season, returns location to look No. 24 USC (12-2, 1-2) connected Monday (8:30 p.m., FS1). The Trojans are coming disconnected a 96-66 nonaccomplishment astatine No. 2 Michigan connected Friday night.
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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.
