Tuesday, December 2
East Lansing, Mich.
7 PM
Michigan State University
8-0,1-0Big Ten
71
vs
52
Iowa
7-1,0-1Big Ten
1
2
F
Iowa
21
31
52
Michigan St.
35
36
71
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Three in Double Figures as No. 7 Michigan State Opens Big Ten Play with a 71-52 Win Over Iowa
12/2/2025 9:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – No.7 Michigan State put three players in double figures and had nine different players score as the Spartans opened up a 14-point lead at halftime en route to 71-52 win over Iowa in the Big Ten Conference opener for both schools at the Breslin Center Tuesday night.
Junior forward Coen Carr scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, while senior forward Jaxon Kohler had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added 14 points and a game-high six assists.
Records
Michigan State improves to 8-0 and 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Iowa falls to 7-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Recap
Michigan State plays the second game of a two-game homestand on Saturday, Dec. 6 at noon, hosting No. 4 Duke at the Breslin Center. The game will air live on FOX, with Tim Brando and Jim Jackson on the call.
Junior forward Coen Carr scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, while senior forward Jaxon Kohler had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added 14 points and a game-high six assists.
Records
Michigan State improves to 8-0 and 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Iowa falls to 7-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Recap
- The Spartans took a 35-21 lead at the break and pushed the lead to 18 points, 39-21, early in the second half on a jumper from sophomore guard Kur Teng (18:42).
- A dunk from senior center Carson Cooper (16:45) pushed the lead to 20 points for the first time, 43-23, at 16:45.
- Iowa used a 12-5 run to pull within 13 points, 48-35, on a 3-pointer from Bennett Stirtz with 14:09 left and the lead was 50-37 after a dunk from Alvaro Folgueiras but an 8-1 burst from MSU, capped by a hook shot from redshirt freshman Jesse McCulloch pushed the lead back to 20 points, 58-38, with just over nine minutes left.
- The Spartans took their biggest lead of the game, 67-43, on a pair of free throws from Fears with 4:12 left in the game.
- Michigan State went into the break with a 35-21 lead, led by Fears, who scored 10 points, including hit all eight of his free throw attempts, and Kohler, who scored eight points and had eight rebounds.
- The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after a 3-pointer from Stirtz and a layup from Tavion Banks in the first two minutes and led 7-3 following a dunk from Cam Manyawu (16:52).
- That was the last lead of the game as the Spartans tied the game at 7-all on Fears free throws and then used a 16-3 run over 6:08, taking a 23-10 lead on a 3-pointer from freshman forward Jordan Scott at the 6:32 mark.
- MSU's biggest lead of the half was 16 points, 27-11, following free throws from Fears (5:06).
- Michigan State connected on 50.0 percent of its field goals (23-of-46), including 54.5 percent (17-of-45) in the second half.
- The Spartans had a 37-18 advantage on the boards, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and scoring 21 second-chance points.
- MSU connected on 88.0 percent (22-of-25) of its free throws.
- The Spartans limited Iowa to 37.8 percent shooting from the floor (17-of-45).
- Michigan State has won the last two meetings with Iowa.
- The Spartans lead the all-time series with Iowa, 79-60, including a 48-20 mark at home and a 23-5 record at the Breslin Center.
- MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo is 37-16 in his career against Iowa.
- Izzo's career record improved to 745-302 in his 31st year at the helm of the MSU program.
- The Spartans have an all-time record of 166-40 under Izzo in December, including a 116-16 record at the Breslin Center.
- Michigan State's 8-0 start is the best under Izzo since the team started 13-0 in the 2015-16 season.
- Michigan State shot 50.0 percent from the floor (23-of-46), the third-straight game hitting at least 50 percent of its field goals and the fourth time this season.
- It was the sixth-straight game the team has connected on at least 48.0 percent of its field goals.
- The Spartans scored 71 points, the seventh time this season scoring at least 70.
- MSU is 7-0 when scoring at least 70 points.
- MSU controlled the battle of the boards (37-18) for the eighth-straight game.
- The Spartans collected 13 offensive rebounds, the eighth-straight game with at least 10 on the offensive glass, scoring 21 second-chance points.
- MSU out-scored UNC, 34-18, in the paint.
- The Spartans hit 22 free throws, the third time this season with at least 20 makes from the charity stripe and the fifth time with at least 15 made free throws.
- MSU's 25 attempts marked the fifth time this season with at least 25.
- MSU limited Iowa to just 37.8 percent shooting from the floor, the seventh-straight opponent to shoot below 40 percent.
- The Spartans held Iowa to 52 points, the fourth-straight opponent to score less than 60 and the eighth time this season an opponent has scored less than 70 points.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 14 points points and handed out a game-high six assists.
- He has led the team in assists eight times this year and 30 for his career.
- Fears hit a career-high 10 free throws in the game.
- He is the first MSU player to hit at least 10-of-10 free throws in a game since Frankie Fidler hit 10-of-10 against Bowling Green last year (11/16/24).
- Senior forward Jaxon Kohler scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
- This was his fourth double-double this season and the 13th of his career.
- He has scored in double figures eight times this year and 20 for his career.
- It was his fifth time this season leading the team in rebounds and the 26th of his career.
- He has four games this year with at least 10 rebounds and 16 for his career.
- Junior forward Coen Carr led MSU in scoring with 15 points, while adding five rebounds.
- This was his fifth game scoring in double figures this year and the 19th of his career.
- Carr led the team in scoring for the first time this season and the fourth time in his career.
Michigan State plays the second game of a two-game homestand on Saturday, Dec. 6 at noon, hosting No. 4 Duke at the Breslin Center. The game will air live on FOX, with Tim Brando and Jim Jackson on the call.
Team Stats
Iowa
MSU
FG%
.378
.500
3FG%
.304
.250
FT%
.647
.880
RB
18
37
TO
11
14
STL
7
4
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
10
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
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