Photo: Robert Goddin ~ Imagn Images
BLOOMINGTON, IND ~ Michigan State capped off a brutal Thursday-Sunday road stretch with an impressive 77-64 win over Indiana at Assembly Hall, marking the Spartans’ first victory in the building since 2021. MSU (24-5, 14-4 Big Ten) came out firing, shooting 58 percent in the first half and taking a 45-37 lead into the break. Senior forward Jaxon Kohler delivered one of the best performances of his career, scoring a season-high 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the year. Off the bench, sophomore guard Kur Teng added a critical spark with 18 points on six made 3-pointers, nearly matching Indiana’s team total from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers (17-12, 8-10) were paced by senior guard Lamar Wilkerson’s 29 points and senior guard Tucker DeVries’ 20, but struggled to sustain runs.
Tom Izzo praised his team’s resiliency, especially given the quick turnaround and the emotional high of Thursday’s win at Purdue. “We get that 10-point lead, and it kind of stayed that way, we didn’t do a great job of building on it. It’s because they’re a good team,” he said. Izzo said his players handled the physicality and environment well, adding that he was proud of how they responded in a building where “winning at Indiana is always a big win.”
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(CONTINUED) Individual growth was a major theme of the afternoon for Izzo. He highlighted the way several players responded after early mistakes, particularly Teng, who fell down twice defensively and gave up multiple 3s before catching fire. “We politely told him we didn’t think it was good,” Izzo joked. “And when a guy responds to that and hits three 3s in a row, that really shows me something.”
Kohler’s resurgence was another focal point, with Izzo emphasizing how important it was for the senior to rediscover confidence: “We told him we were gonna go to him, and he responded.” Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. had 21 points and nine assists and also earned strong praise for his composure running the offense around Indiana’s shifting defensive looks. Though the Spartans didn’t fully put the Hoosiers away until late, they consistently answered each Indiana push with timely shot-making, most notably Teng’s barrage from deep and a series of big second-half 3s from Fears and freshman guard Jordan Scott. Izzo referenced those moments as signs of a team maturing at the right time.“Every time they get loud, silence them. This was a test of maturity.”
With spring break providing a small window to regroup, Michigan State returns home for its regular-season finale against Rutgers on Thursday night, carrying momentum, improved offensive rhythm and a coach increasingly confident in his group’s late-season trajectory.
