Photo: Nick King ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
EAST LANSING ~ In a heavyweight showdown that felt like March in December, No. 4 Duke outlasted No. 7 Michigan State 66-60 at the Breslin Center. The Spartans led for much of the first half behind senior forward Jaxon Kohler’s outside shooting and senior center Carson Cooper’s dominance inside, but a second-half surge from Duke flipped the script. MSU shot just 32% from the field and went cold from 3-point range after halftime, while Duke’s switch to a zone defense stifled the Spartans’ rhythm.
The turning point came with under 12 minutes to play, when Michigan State held a five-point lead before freshman forward Cameron Boozer sparked a decisive run with a layup and a deep 3-pointer. Boozer, held to two points in the first half, finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, including three offensive boards off missed free throws, an area Tom Izzo called “disgusting and ridiculous.” Junior guard Caleb Foster added 12 points, including a dagger 3 late, while sophomore guard Isaiah Evans chipped in with a critical triple and three free throws. “You don’t get many opportunities to beat the best,” Izzo said. “Today we had an opportunity in front of an unbelievable crowd, and we didn’t get it done.”
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(CONTINUED) Cooper had a career day for MSU with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Kohler added 14 points and seven boards. Sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. dished out 13 assists but went 0-for-10 from the field, scoring six points from the line. Despite winning the turnover battle (MSU 5, Duke 8) and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds, the Spartans were undone by four missed free throw box-outs that led directly to Duke points. “Those are effort and intelligence plays, not skill plays,” Izzo said. “That falls on me. We work on it every day. It’s inexcusable.”
Izzo didn’t hide his frustration afterward, calling the loss “pissed off” rather than discouraging. Yet he struck an optimistic tone about the bigger picture: “We’re 8-1, played a monster schedule, and proved we can play with anybody,” he said. He praised the Breslin crowd, “The place was special today”, and singled out Fears’ growth and freshman forward Jordan Scott’s toughness as bright spots. Still, Izzo emphasized the team’s slim margin for error: “It didn’t take much to change that game. One more bucket when we were up five, and it’sdifferent.” He also praised Boozer’s poise and versatility: “He can beat you with the pass, the dribble, the rebound and the 3-point shot. He’s one of the best I’ve seen in a lot of years.”
Up next for the Spartans, they will go to Penn State next Saturday for their first true road game.
