Thursday, November 27
Fort Myers, Fla
4:30 PM
Michigan State University
7-0,0-0Big Ten
74
vs
58
North Carolina
6-1,0-0ACC
1
2
F
Michigan St.
33
41
74
North Carolina
28
30
58
Fears Scores Career-High 19 Points, Leads No. 11 Michigan State Past No. 18 North Carolina, 74-58, at Fort Myers Tip-Off
11/27/2025 7:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 19 points and handed out seven assists to lead four players in double figures as No. 11 Michigan State beat No. 18 North Carolina, 74-58, in the second round of the Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Thanksgiving Day.
Fears scored 15 of his career-high 19 points in the second half as MSU out-scored the Tar Heels, 41-30, in the second half and held them to a season-low 58 points.
Senior forward Jaxon Kohler had his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, senior center Carson Cooper scored 14 points and had six rebounds and freshman forward Cam Ward added 11 points off the bench.
Records
Michigan State improves to 7-0 this season, wrapping up the first undefeated November for the Spartans since the 2015-16 season, while North Carolina falls to 6-1.
Recap
Michigan State returns home to start Big Ten Conference play, hosting Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Breslin Center (peacock, 6:30 p.m.).
Fears scored 15 of his career-high 19 points in the second half as MSU out-scored the Tar Heels, 41-30, in the second half and held them to a season-low 58 points.
Senior forward Jaxon Kohler had his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, senior center Carson Cooper scored 14 points and had six rebounds and freshman forward Cam Ward added 11 points off the bench.
Records
Michigan State improves to 7-0 this season, wrapping up the first undefeated November for the Spartans since the 2015-16 season, while North Carolina falls to 6-1.
Recap
- After a back-and-forth first half with two ties and 10 lead changes, Michigan State went into the break with a 33-28 lead.
- The Spartans never trailed in the second half and extended their lead to nine points, 53-46, on a 3-pointer from Kohler with 11:47 left in the game.
- North Carolina pulled to within three points, 55-52, on a layup from Kyan Evans with 8:48 left and MSU responded with a 9-0 run over 2:13 and extended the lead to 64-52 when Fears fed Cooper for a layup with 5:17 to play, forcing the Tar Heels to call a timeout.
- North Carolina twice got within 10 points but Fears, who scored eight of MSU's last 14 points, hit a layup with 4:26 left to push it back to 66-54 and Carr grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a put-back dunk with 2:59 left to make it 68-56.
- Fears hit a pair of free throws with 2:14 left and closed out the scoring with a pair of jumpers in the final minute as the Spartans captured the 74-58 win.
- In the first half, MSU had jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after a 3-pointer from Trey Fort and a thunderous dunk from Carr, but UNC took its first lead on a layup from Luka Bogavac as the teams began their back-and-forth battle.
- A layup from sophomore guard Kur Teng gave MSU a 15-14 lead with 11:30 left, but the Tar Heels went on an 8-0 run over 3:39 and took a 22-15 lead on a layup from Jarin Stevenson, forcing MSU to call a timeout with 7:42 left before the break.
- The Spartans responded in kind, using a 13-0 run over 3:35, taking a 28-22 lead when Fears fed freshman forward Cam Ward for a layup with 3:19 to play as Carolina called a timeout.
- Ward hit three more free throws and a jumper from Fears with 54 seconds left gave the Spartans a 33-28 lead at the break.
- Michigan State connected on 51.7 percent of its field goals (31-of-60), including 62.1 percent in the second half (18-of-29).
- The Spartans controlled the boards, out-rebounding North Carolina, 37-30, and out-scoring the Tar Heels, 46-34, in the paint.
- MSU collected 12 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second-chance points.
- MSU received 20 points from its bench.
- Michigan State has won the last two meetings with North Carolina and three of the last four overall.
- The Har Heels lead the head-to-head series, 13-6.
- MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo is now 5-10 all-time vs. UNC
- Izzo's career record improved to 744-302 in his 31st year at the helm of the MSU program.
- The Spartans have an all-time record of 167-47 in November.
- Head Coach Tom Izzo is 132-43 for the month overall.
- Michigan State closed out the month of November with a 7-0 record, its first undefeated November since the 2015-16 season, when the Spartans reeled off 13-straight wins to start the season.
- Michigan State shot a season-high 51.7 percent from the floor (31-of-60), the second-straight game hitting at least 50 percent of its field goals and the third time this season.
- It was the fifth-straight game the team has connected on at least 48.0 percent of its field goals.
- The Spartans scored 78 points, the fifth time this season scoring at least 70.
- MSU is 5-0 when scoring at least 70 points.
- While MSU connected on only five 3-pionters but shot 50.0 percent from long distance (5-of-10).
- Since the first three games of the season when the team hit just 21.7 percent from long distance (13-of-60), the Spartans have shot 42.5 percent from 3-point land (37-of-87) in the last four games.
- MSU controlled the battle of the boards (37-30) for the seventh-straight game.
- The Spartans collected 12 offensive rebounds, the seventh-straight game with at least 10 on the offensive glass, scoring 12 second-chance points.
- MSU out-scored UNC, 46-34, in the paint.
- MSU limited North Carolina to just 38.2 percent shooting from the floor, the sixth-straight opponent to shoot below 40 percent.
- The Spartans held North Carolina to 58 points, the third-straight opponent to score less than 60 and the seventh time this season an opponent has scored less than 70 points.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. scored a career-high 19 points points and handed out a game-high seven assists.
- This was the seventh game this season with at least seven assists for Fears.
- He has led the team in assists seven times this year and 29 for his career.
- This was the second time this season he has led the team in scoring, third for his career.
- Fears hit a career-high eight field goals in the game.
- Senior forward Jaxon Kohler scored 10 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
- This was his third double-double this season and the 12th of his career.
- He has scored in double figures seven times this year and 19 for his career.
- It was his fourth time this season leading the team in rebounds and the 25th of his career.
- He has three games this year with at least 10 rebounds and 15 for his career.
- Senior center Carson Cooper scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds.
- He has scored in double figures in three-straight games, five times this season and nine for his career.
- Cooper hit a career-high six field goals while tying his career mark for field goal attempts (10).
- Freshman forward Cam Ward scored 11 points, his second game in double figures this year.
- Senior guard Trey Fort handed out a season-high three assists.
Michigan State returns home to start Big Ten Conference play, hosting Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Breslin Center (peacock, 6:30 p.m.).
Team Stats
MSU
UNC
FG%
.517
.382
3FG%
.500
.174
FT%
.778
.706
RB
37
30
TO
10
8
STL
2
5
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
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