Photos by: Aaron J. Thornton
East Lansing’s Breslin Center played host to a marquee college basketball showdown on Saturday, as the Michigan State Spartans welcomed the Duke Blue Devils in a clash between two of the nation’s top-10 teams. After opening the season ranked No. 22, Tom Izzo’s Spartans surged to No. 7 in the polls on the strength of signature victories over Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. A win over No. 4 Duke would have cemented Michigan State’s status as a legitimate top-five contender.
Michigan State opened the afternoon ice cold from the perimeter, misfiring on its first four three-point attempts and falling behind by as many as six early. But the Spartans settled in as the half wore on. A deep three from Jaxon Kohler gave MSU its first lead, 20–19, midway through the opening period and energized a lively home crowd.
Despite shooting just 33% from the field in the first 20 minutes, the Spartans took a 34–31 lead into halftime. Kohler was the catalyst, pouring in 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from behind the arc, while point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. orchestrated the offense with eight first-half assists. On the defensive end, Michigan State put together one of its best efforts of the season, holding Duke’s star forward Cam Boozer, who entered the game averaging 24 points, to just two points before the break.
The Spartans opened the second half with a statement play, as Fears Jr. floated an alley-oop to Carson Cooper to push the MSU lead to 36–31. Duke responded quickly over the next few possessions and reclaimed the advantage, but the Spartans then countered with a 6-0 run to take a 45–40 lead. The heavyweights went back and forth, trading baskets throughout a tense second half. By the 10 minute mark of the second half, there had been 11 lead changes in the game.
With seven minutes remaining, the Spartans appeared to catch a break when Cam Boozer picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench. Yet Michigan State failed to capitalize, unable to generate separation during the key stretch with the Blue Devils leading scorer out.
Ultimately, MSU went the final 12 minutes without a made three pointer, a drought that proved costly in a gritty, low scoring battle decided in the final moments. Duke executed down the stretch, preserving its undefeated record and escaping the Breslin Center with a hard fought victory.
Michigan State had three players scoring in double figures. Cooper led the way with 16 points and dominated the glass with a game high 16 rebounds, securing an impressive double-double. Kohler added 14 points, while Cohen Carr chipped in 10 to round out the Spartans’ top scorers.
Despite going 0-for-10 from the field, sophomore point guard Fears Jr. still made a major impact, dishing out a game high 13 assists.
For Duke, Cam Boozer delivered the standout performance of the night, leading all scorers with 18 points (16 in the second half) and pulling down 15 rebounds in a commanding effort.
Michigan State (8-1) will look to regroup as they take on Penn State (8-1) on the road on Saturday. Duke (10-0) will host Texas Tech (7-2) in a game on Saturday night.
Final Score: Duke 66 – Michigan State 60
