Michigan State Spartans Triumph Over Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In a commanding performance on Sunday, the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans emerged victorious against Indiana, clinching a 77-64 win. The duo of Jaxon Kohler and Jeremy Fears Jr. proved pivotal for Michigan State, with each contributing 21 points. Fears also showcased his playmaking skills, dishing out nine assists, while Kohler fortified his stats with 13 rebounds, marking his 12th double-double this season.
Key Contributions and Bench Performance
Kur Tang made a notable impact off the bench, scoring a career-high 18 points, including a remarkable 6-for-8 from beyond the arc—this accounted for nearly half of the Spartans’ total of 13 three-pointers. The victory solidified Michigan State’s impressive record of 24-5 and 14-4 in the Big Ten, marking their fourth consecutive win. The Spartans managed to achieve this success at Assembly Hall, a venue where they have historically struggled, winning for only the second time in their last six visits. This victory followed a close 76-74 win against No. 8 Purdue just days earlier, completing a critical road sweep for the team.
Coaching Milestone and Indiana’s Struggles
Head coach Tom Izzo made his first appearance at Bloomington since breaking the Big Ten record for conference victories in February 2025, previously held by the legendary Bob Knight.
Despite a valiant effort from Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson, who scored an impressive 29 points with 19 of those in the latter half, the Hoosiers fell short, suffering their fourth straight defeat. Tucker DeVries and Sam Alexis contributed 20 points and eight points, respectively, but the Indiana bench went scoreless in the contest.
Game Highlights and Upcoming Matches
Michigan State began the game strong, quickly establishing a lead at 14-5, and continued to leverage their three-point shooting to keep the Hoosiers at bay. At one point, they stretched their lead to 39-26 with Tang’s fourth triple of the first half. After a halftime score of 45-37, Indiana appeared to gain momentum, narrowing the gap to as close as 54-48 in the second half, only to see Michigan State respond decisively, spurring a 10-3 run that pushed their lead back to 67-55.
Looking forward, Michigan State will host Rutgers in their final home game on Thursday, while Indiana will look to rebound against Minnesota during their upcoming home finale on Wednesday.
