Kohler dominated early, then Carr ignited the crowd with electrifying dunks and a game-saving block, securing Michigan State's tenth win.
Michigan State took care of business Tuesday night in East Lansing, rolling past Toledo 92–69 to earn its 10th win of the season. The victory moves the Spartans to 10-1 (2-0 Big Ten), while Toledo falls to 5-6 (0-0 MAC).
It started early in the first half with Michigan State grabbing control and never looking back. Jaxon Kohler looked like an absolute giant from the opening tip, earning a double-double before the midway point of the first half. At one point, Kohler had 14 points by himself — more than the entire Toledo team (12).
Michigan State leaned heavily on its size early, a point Tom Izzo emphasized pregame, and the Spartans dominated through the middle of the floor. By halftime, Michigan State had built a commanding 30-point lead, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
As the second half began, it was more of the same. The Spartans looked like a top-10 team in nearly every facet of the game. Jeremy Fears Jr. had a sloppy turnover early, but Michigan State’s formula of big men + rebounding + defense continued to produce easy offense and extended possessions.
While the first half belonged to Kohler, the second half turned into CarrMania.
Coen Carr electrified the Breslin Center, injecting life into a crowd watching a 30-point blowout. How much passion can a fan base muster in that situation? As much as Carr can provide — and he provided plenty, throwing down multiple dunks. But his most impressive moment came on the defensive end, where a turnover led to Carr sprinting back for a massive transition block, bringing the building to its feet.
Kur Teng picked up right where he left off from the first half. After knocking down three-for-three from beyond the arc before halftime, Teng connected again early in the second half. He led all bench players with 14 points, continuing to make a strong case for more minutes.
The two-guard position has been the biggest question mark for Michigan State this season. Tom Izzo has embraced a quarterback-style competition, rotating players until someone separates. It began with Trey Fort and Kur Teng, neither of whom found early consistency. Last game, Divine Ugochukwu got the start out of position and responded with a career-high 23 points vs. Penn State.
Against Toledo, scoring from the starters made Ugochukwu’s offense less necessary early. He finished the first half scoreless as Teng caught fire. Ugochukwu opened the second half with a basket, Teng continued scoring, and Fort slid back into limited minutes. Watching how Izzo manages this group heading into March will be fascinating.
The rest of the bench played an important role as well. Jordan Scott continued his trademark high-energy, high-effort play, while Cam Ward began to reassert his physical presence inside.
Michigan State led by as many as 33 points, though the Spartans did get sloppy midway through the second half. Toledo took advantage with a 15–3 run, cutting the lead to around 20, but the damage was already done. The Rockets never seriously threatened, as the halftime deficit proved too much to overcome.
Once again, Rebounding U lived up to its name.
Michigan State dominated the glass through sheer physicality and hustle, winning the rebounding battle 54–24 and the offensive rebounding battle 16–5. The Spartans’ ability to win inside, paired with elite defense, remains the blueprint for success. Toledo went two or more minutes without scoring seven different times throughout the game.
With another dominant performance, Michigan State continues to look like a team built for a long run.
Michigan State Player Stats
Starters
- Jaxon Kohler: 16 pts / 13 reb / 3 ast
- Coen Carr: 14 pts / 4 reb
- Jeremy Fears Jr.: 15 pts / 3 reb / 8 ast
- Carson Cooper: 8 pts / 9 reb / 3 ast
- Divine Ugochukwu: 2 pts / 1 reb
Bench
- Kur Teng: 14 pts / 1 reb / 1 ast
- Jordan Scott: 2 pts / 2 reb / 2 ast
- Cam Ward: 5 pts / 6 reb
- Jesse McCulloch: 7 pts / 8 reb / 1 ast
- Denham Wojick: 1 reb / 6 ast
- Trey Fort: 3 pts / 2 reb / 1 ast
- Colin Walton: 3 pts
- Brennan Walton: 3 pts / 1 reb
- Nick Sanders: 2 min
Team Stats
Field Goals
- Michigan State: 34/67 (51%)
- Toledo: 23/64 (36%)
Three-Point Shooting
- Michigan State: 10/23 (44%)
- Toledo: 10/27 (37%)
Free Throws
- Michigan State: 14/19 (74%)
- Toledo: 13/17 (76%)
Rebounds
- Michigan State: 54
- Toledo: 24
Offensive Rebounds
- Michigan State: 16
- Toledo: 5
Steals
- Michigan State: 3
- Toledo: 11
Blocks
- Michigan State: 7
- Toledo: 2
Turnovers
- Michigan State: 15
- Toledo: 4
Michigan State Upcoming Schedule
- vs Oakland — 12/20
- vs Cornell — 12/29
- at No. 15 Nebraska — 1/2
- vs USC — 1/5
- vs Northwestern — 1/8