Wednesday, December 4
Minneapolis, Minn.
8:30 PM
Michigan State University
7-2,1-0Big Ten
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Minnesota
6-4,0-1Big Ten
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Michigan St.
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Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Kohler’s Double-Double Helps Lead Michigan State Past Minnesota in Big Ten Opener, 90-72
12/4/2024 11:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Junior forward Jaxon Kohler had a double-double, four players scored in double figures and 12 different players scored for Michigan State's men's basketball team as the Spartans pulled away from Minnesota for a 90-72 win at Williams Arena.
Kohler had 11 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, sophomore forward Coen Carr led MSU with 12 points, sophomore forward Xavier Booker had 11 points and redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with 10 points and five assists. Junior guard Tre Holloman added eight points and a game-high eight assists.
Records
Michigan State improves to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference, while Minnesota falls to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Recap
Michigan State plays its Big Ten Conference home opener on Saturday, Dec. 7, hosting Nebraska at the Breslin Center. The game tips off at noon and will air live on BTN, with Chris Vosters and Shon Morris calling all of the action.
Kohler had 11 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, sophomore forward Coen Carr led MSU with 12 points, sophomore forward Xavier Booker had 11 points and redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with 10 points and five assists. Junior guard Tre Holloman added eight points and a game-high eight assists.
Records
Michigan State improves to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference, while Minnesota falls to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Recap
- Michigan State led by 12 points at halftime, 42-30, and twice extended its lead to 16 points in the second half before Minnesota narrowed the gap.
- Twice, Mike Mitchell Jr. hit 3-pointers, first making it 55-44 with 10:59 left and then making it 58-47 with 10:14 to play.
- Booker, who scored eight of his 11 points in the second half, responded with one of his two shots from long distance in the second half, pushing MSU's lead back to 14 points, 61-47, with 9:54 to play.
- Minnesota got no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
- Free throws from senior center Szymon Zapala pushed lead to 20 points, 74-54, with 6:28 left in the game and a 3-pointer from redshirt freshman Gehrig Normand gave MSU its biggest lead, 88-67, with 1:11 left in the game.
- Leading 42-30 at the break, the Spartans outscored the Gophers 9-5 over the opening 4:22 of the second half to take a 51-35 lead on a dunk from Booker at 15:38.
- The Spartans went into the break with a 40-28 lead, hitting 50.0 percent of their shots (14-of-28), with Akins leading the way with 9 points as nine different players scored.
- MSU had taken an early 9-2 lead on a conventional three-point play from Fears at 17:20, but the Gophers used a 10-0 run to take a 12-9 lead on a 3-pointer from Garcia at 12:52.
- Trailing 14-12, the Spartans went on a 14-0 run and took a 26-14 lead on a 3-pointer from Akins at the 8:19 mark, forcing Minnesota to call a timeout.
- Holloman hit a 3-pointer to extend the run to 17-0 as the Spartans took a 29-14 lead and MSU took its biggest lead, 33-17, on free throws from Kohler with 6:17 left before the break.
- Michigan State shot 52.7 percent from the floor (29-of-55), including 55.6 percent in the second half (15-of-27).
- The Spartans hit a season-high 50.0 percent of their 3-pointers (11-of-22), including 70.0 percent in the second half (7-of-10).
- The Spartans handed out 25 assists on 29 field goals, an 86.2 percent assist rate.
- MSU out-rebounded Minnesota 39-27, and collected 12 offensive rebounds.
- The Spartans hit 80.8 percent of their free throws (21-of-26).
- Michigan State had a 27-2 advantage in fast break points.
- Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 78-62, including a 29-38 record on the road.
- Head Coach Tom Izzo is 40-13 all-time against the Gophers.
- This was the first time the Spartans won their conference opener since the 2021-22 season, when MSU won, 75-67, at Minnesota.
- Izzo's career record improved to 714-297, including a 344-170 mark in Big Ten play.
- Izzo's 344 Big Ten wins are nine away from tying former Indiana coach Bob Knight for the most career Big Ten victories.
- This was the third time MSU has scored at least 90 points in a game this season and the sixth time the team has scored at least 80 points.
- Michigan State is 6-0 when leading at the half this season.
- The Spartans have connected on at least 50.0 percent of their field goals four times this season (4-0) and it was their second-best shooting percentage of the season (behind 54.1 percent against North Carolina).
- MSU held Minnesota below 50.0 percent shooting from the floor (44.1 percent), the seventh time this season an opponent was below 50.0 percent (6-2).
- The Spartans are 7-0 when outshooting their opponent.
- Michigan State is 6-1 when controlling the battle of the boards.
- MSU handed out a season-high 25 assists, the fifth time this season the team has had at least 20.
- Michigan State hit 80.8 percent of its free throws (21-of-26), the fifth time this season connecting on at least 80 percent.
- It was the fifth time this season the team hit at least 20 shots from the charity stripe and the 21 made shots are the third-most this season.
- The Spartans continue to get support from its bench, scoring 43 points, the fourth time the team has received at least 40 points and the eighth time at least 30 points.
- Jaxon Kohler had 11 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.
- Kohler has scored in double figures four times this year and six times in his career.
- Coen Carr scored 12 points, his third game this season in double figures and the fifth of his career.
- This was the first time he led the team in scoring in his career.
- Xavier Booker scored 11 points, his second-straight game in double figures (four games career).
- Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 10 points, his third game in double figures this year (and career).
- He handed out 5 assists, the seventh time this season he's had at least 5 and the 10th time in his career.
- Tre Holloman handed out a game-high 8 assists, his third time this season leading the team in assist and the 12th for his career.
- Redshirt freshman Gehrig Normand (5) and freshman Kur Teng (2) scored the first points of their MSU careers.
Michigan State plays its Big Ten Conference home opener on Saturday, Dec. 7, hosting Nebraska at the Breslin Center. The game tips off at noon and will air live on BTN, with Chris Vosters and Shon Morris calling all of the action.
Team Stats
MSU
MINN
FG%
.527
.441
3FG%
.500
.321
FT%
.808
.647
RB
39
27
TO
9
7
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
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