Fears ignited a second-half surge, overcoming a sluggish start. Spartans' late-game magic and dominant rebounding secured a hard-fought victory.
It was a tale of two halves once again for Michigan State.
The first half was about as sloppy as it gets. The Spartans turned the ball over eight times in the opening 20 minutes and played with very little energy. Despite a Breslin Center crowd doing everything it could to spark them, Michigan State looked flat — like a kid opening socks on Christmas morning. No excitement, no urgency.
As a result, the Spartans trailed by seven at halftime, their largest halftime deficit of the season.
Then came the second half.
Whatever Tom Izzo said in the locker room worked — and it worked fast. Michigan State flipped the switch, led by Jeremy Fears Jr., who completely took over the game. Fears scored all 15 of his points in the second half, attacking the rim and controlling the pace. Jaxon Kohler continued his impressive shooting from deep, and Coen Carr brought the crowd to life with a couple of earth-shattering dunks.
Michigan State erased the seven-point deficit and built a 10-point lead, but Northwestern didn’t go quietly. In the blink of an eye, the game was back to a one-possession contest with under two minutes remaining.
That’s where this Michigan State team has thrived all season.
Despite slow starts becoming a concerning trend, the Spartans have consistently closed games late. That ability has propelled them to the 14-2 record they now hold. It’s not a perfect formula, but learning how to finish games is often harder than learning how to start faster — especially early in the season.
Still, the flaws remain.
Turnovers continue to be a major issue. Michigan State has committed 46 turnovers over the last three games, averaging more than 12 per game. At times, it feels like the Spartans are giving the ball away every fourth possession. That has to be cleaned up — and quickly.
Fortunately, the shooting came alive in the second half. After being held under 30 points in the first half, Michigan State poured in 48 points after the break, which made all the difference.
Carson Cooper led the way, scoring nine points in the first half and finishing with a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds. Jaxon Kohler added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with 15 points and five assists, all while running the offense with confidence in the second half.
The bench was strong as well, and at times the freshmen looked like the most composed players on the floor. Cam Ward finished with seven points and seven rebounds and deserves credit for injecting energy into the game. Jordan Scott also made his presence felt, finishing with six points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Free-throw shooting could still improve — Michigan State went 23-for-33 (70%) — but the Spartans dominated the glass. Rebounding University lived up to the name, winning the rebounding battle 44–25, including 11–7 on the offensive boards.
Northwestern made it a fight, especially behind Big Ten leading scorer Nick Martinelli, who poured in 28 points, accounting for 42% of the Wildcats’ scoring. Michigan State struggled to slow him down, but one player wasn’t enough to overcome the Spartans at home.
In the end, Michigan State held serve at the Breslin Center and earned its 14th win of the season, improving to 14-2 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play. Northwestern fell to 8-7 and 0-4 in conference action.
After playing three games in six days, the Spartans finally get a brief breather before hosting Indiana on Tuesday.