Cornell's fiery offense ignited early, but Michigan State's relentless scoring and strategic adjustments led to a decisive victory.
Michigan State returned to action for the first time in over a week, moving on from one big red jolly guy to a team full of Big Reds as the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans played host to the Cornell Big Red.
The Spartans came in owning one of the best defenses in the country, allowing just two teams all season to score 70 or more points. Cornell entered the Breslin Center averaging 90 points per game.
A battle of two strengths — where only one could come out on top.
The first half started as hot and spicy as Big Red chewing gum, and the Big Red basketball team somehow came out even hotter. Cornell’s game plan was simple: attack. And attack they did.
Cornell blitzed Michigan State early, jumping out to a quick 15–4 lead, making it rain threes like they were Fat Joe in the early 2000s. Their fast-paced, merciless defense looked like it was playing the final moments of its season rather than the waking moments of a late-December game.
Michigan State had no counter early except to get the ball to Coen Carr and let him soar. Carr threw down two ruthless dunks that may have registered on the Richter scale in surrounding counties, but both were matched by Cornell threes and a lack of Spartan defense that looked like it was still running off Christmas ham.
Cornell’s sticky defense came at a cost, though, as fouls piled up and Michigan State found itself in the bonus with over half of the first half still to play. That’s when Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State’s leading scorer entering the game, finally woke up. Like when you bug your dad all Christmas Day to play basketball and he finally puts his beer down — just to remind you how small you are. Kohler knocked down a three and then shimmied past a double team along the baseline for a layup, cutting the Cornell lead to seven.
The Spartans continued to trade punches, eventually trimming the deficit to four with nine minutes left. Just when it looked like Cornell might cool off, another silky three fell — smooth as fresh Christmas pajamas.
As the half wound down, a more aggressive Jeremy Fears Jr. emerged. He began driving the lane like a man late for work. After drawing a foul and knocking down both free throws, Fears helped cap a 10–3 Spartan run that pulled Michigan State within two.
Cornell continued to out-rebound Michigan State, something the Spartans hadn’t had to deal with much this season. That, paired with pesky defense, allowed Cornell to control the game for the first 14 minutes.
At the 14-minute mark, the Spartans finally grabbed their first lead when Kur Teng drilled a three to make it 37–35.
The teams traded baskets from there, with Cornell continuing to fire threes on seemingly every possession. Living and dying by the three can be dangerous over forty minutes, but Michigan State proved ready for a shootout — something it hadn’t been forced into much this season. After a few timeouts, the Spartans adjusted to Cornell’s trap defense and started finding better looks.
Michigan State took a 55–53 lead into halftime. The Spartans looked slow early, unprepared for a team that came in ready to leave it all on the floor. Grit and perseverance were going to be the path forward — along with rebounding and playing with pace, two things Tom Izzo had emphasized before the game.
Cornell showed no signs of changing its game plan to start the second half, continuing to launch threes at will. On the other end, it was Coen Carr — in his Michael Jackson shoes — moonwalking through the Big Red defense. His movement helped ignite a 7–0 run, capped by a Kohler three that pushed the Spartans ahead 62–56.
As the half went on, Cornell kept throwing up Hail Marys, but the prayers that were answered early by angels with wings were now being met by a brick salesman. Michigan State sensed the prey weakening and went in for the kill. Fears cut straight through the heart of the Big Red defense for an easy layup, stretching the lead to nine and bringing Breslin fully back to life.
The Spartans became the alpha in the second half. With each basket, Cornell grew more desperate on both ends, picking up fouls and forcing bad shots. Michigan State stayed the course and got help from everywhere, especially the bench.
With the Spartans fully in control, the magic tricks came out. Carr connected on an alley-oop that had no business being attempted, slamming it home with a foul to boot. After converting the free throw, Michigan State pushed the lead to 80–65.
By the midpoint of the second half, every Cornell player except one had committed a foul, and the game felt like it might stretch into a three-hour affair. Cornell’s once-sticky defense was met with whistles, and their offense had gone colder than the snow squall outside earlier that day.
Michigan State ballooned the lead past 20, turning what was once a hair-raising, finger-biting game into a routine tune-up ahead of conference play.
The Spartans held their flavor longer than the Big Red, walking away with a 114–97 win.
Michigan State’s defense woke up in the second half, holding Cornell to 44 points after the break, while the offense exploded for 59 of its own.
Jeremy Fears Jr. played his strongest game of the season, finishing with a team-high 21 points and 11 assists while looking more comfortable than ever running a fast-paced offense. Jaxon Kohler recorded his fourth straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Coen Carr added 19 points.
As usual, the Spartan bench played a major role. Trey Fort chipped in 14 points, and Kur Teng added 10 in a high-strung game that demanded depth.
Ultimately, Michigan State lasted longer in the old tortoise-and-the-hare tale. Cornell trusted its shooting and hoped Lady Luck would stay on its side. The Spartans, meanwhile, stayed the course — bobbing and weaving through the punches, adjusting offensively to the trap, and getting big on the glass when it mattered.
Michigan State improved to 12–1 (2–0), while Cornell fell to 6–6.
The Spartans now gear up for 18 straight Big Ten games, beginning the new year Friday, January 2, at Nebraska (9 p.m. ET).