Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. steals the ball from Colgate during the second half on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
EAST LANSING ~ Michigan State kicked off its 2025–26 season with an 80–69 win over Colgate at the Breslin Center, but the victory didn’t come easy. The Spartans couldn’t find rhythm early and entered halftime with a slim 37–34 lead. Colgate, which finished third in the Patriot League last season, tied the game twice early in the second half and kept MSU on upset alert until a decisive 15–2 run midway through the half flipped the momentum.
That run was sparked by sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who finished with 14 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and five steals. “I think in order for us to win games, we’ve got to pick it up defensively and start early,” Fears told WJR correspondent Nic Fardella. His leadership was noticeably absent in the first half, something head coach Tom Izzo pointed out. Fears agreed: “I wasn’t the best defender in the first half I could be. So just going into second half we talked about it.”
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(CONTINUED) Senior forward Jaxon Kohler led the Spartans with 16 points and 15 rebounds, dominating the glass and helping MSU convert 19 offensive boards into a 20–3 edge in second-chance points. Junior forward Coen Carr added 12 points, including a highlight-reel alley-oop off the glass from Fears that electrified the Breslin crowd. Senior center Carson Cooper chipped in 10 points and six rebounds, while senior guard Trey Fort added nine points off the bench, including three clutch free throws that helped spark the second-half surge.
Colgate shot 38 percent from three and 47 percent overall, led by junior forward Sam Wright’s 17 points and freshman forward Andrew Alekseyenko’s 14. Despite the win, MSU’s free-throw shooting (24-of-37) and perimeter defense remain areas for improvement. The Spartans will need to tighten up quickly, with No. 14 Arkansas visiting East Lansing on Saturday.
