Overview
- The Spartans trailed 35-28 at halftime after eight first-half turnovers and a scoreless stretch of 5:06 before flipping the game after the break.
- Carson Cooper posted a career-high 18 points on 6-for-6 shooting with nine rebounds, while Jeremy Fears Jr. scored all 15 of his points in the second half and added five assists.
- Jaxon Kohler added 15 points and eight boards, including three 3-pointers, as Michigan State won the glass 42-31 and generated key second-chance opportunities.
- Northwestern's Nick Martinelli led all scorers with 28 points and went 10-for-10 at the line, but the Wildcats fell to 8-7 and 0-4 in Big Ten play.
- Tom Izzo cited mental fatigue and accepted responsibility after the uneven start, noting frustration with a second-half technical, as MSU moved to 14-2 (4-1) while No. 1 Michigan’s 91-88 loss to Wisconsin tightened the league race.