The 2025–26 season tipped off tonight at the Breslin Center as Tom Izzo’s Spartans faced Colgate in the opener.

It’s been a battle from the jump. Some hot shooting mixed with cold stretches—exactly what you’d expect from an opening night. Every time Michigan State tries to build a lead, Colgate’s perimeter shooting and the Spartans’ early turnovers have kept things closer than Izzo would like.

With three minutes left in the half, Michigan State led by just two. They managed to stretch it to six before a buzzer-beating three from Colgate cut the lead to 37–34 at halftime.

The Spartans will need to tighten up on defense, control the tempo, and avoid sloppy possessions if they want to prevent a deflating season-opening loss at home.

First Half Stats

Kur Teng: Teng’s smooth stroke from deep helped spark the offense early. He went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and added three rebounds.

Coen Carr: Carr finished the half 1-for-3 from the field and 1-for-2 from the line. His elite athleticism showed up with a block, a steal, and a turnover.

Jeremy Fears Jr.: Fears led the team with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. He also dished out six assists—Michigan State’s only other two assists came from teammates—and grabbed two rebounds.

Jaxon Kohler: Kohler hit an early three and finished the half with five points and four rebounds, tying for the team lead on the glass.

Carson Cooper: Also grabbed four rebounds to go with two points, giving the Spartans steady work inside.

Bench Production:

• Jordan Scott: 4 points, 4 rebounds
• Cam Ward: 4 points, 3 rebounds
• Trey Fort: 3 points, 1 rebound
• Jesse McCulloch: 2 points

Halftime Numbers

• Score: Michigan State 37, Colgate 34
• Rebounds: MSU 22, Colgate 14
• Field Goal: MSU 41%: Colgate 45%
• Three-Point: MSU 31%: Colgate 43%

Halftime Thoughts from Assistant Coach Thomas Kelly

“We got off to a really good start actually. Got stuck on 13 points, they went on a run, and we started to settle for threes. Cox is a really, really good player—he was hurting us with his penetration and decision-making.”

“They’re shooting 44% from the floor and 33% from three. That’s where we hang our hat—on defense.”

“Happy for [Teng]. Happy to see him knock down threes, and I thought he played well on defense too.”

“We’ve got to do a better job of getting clean stops and pushing the ball with pace. Throw it ahead, flatten the defense, and get easy looks.”

Halftime Outlook

Michigan State is winning the rebounding battle but still searching for rhythm on both ends. They’ll need to lean on Jeremy Fears Jr. to control the pace and set the tone offensively. If the Spartans can lock in defensively and turn stops into transition chances, they’ll put themselves in position to close out the opener strong.