MSU Beats North Carolina for Third Ranked Win of Season
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No. 11 Michigan State controlled 16th-ranked North Carolina, 74-58, for a Thanksgiving evening victory on a neutral court in Fort Myers, Fla.
This is already MSU's third win over an AP Top-25 opponent this season. Last season, the Spartans' third such win came on Feb. 18, for perspective. Additionally, this is the program's first 7-0 start since the 2015-16 season.
Jeremy Fears Jr. led the way again for Michigan State, scoring a career-high 19 points with five rebounds and seven assists --- his jump shot was as good as it's ever been as a Spartan. Jaxon Kohler also provided a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.
The Spartans will return to East Lansing next for their Big Ten opener against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2 (7 p.m. ET, Peacock).
First Half
MSU came out of the opening gate swinging. Trey Fort hit a three on the opening possession, the defense got a stop, and Coen Carr slammed one home in transition to jump out to a quick 5-0 lead. North Carolina quickly responded, getting it to 9-8, Spartans, at the first media timeout.
That slim margin stuck around for a while, as both teams’ defenses buckled in and the scoring slowed. The floor in Fort Myers was also really slippery, causing some turnovers for both sides. Then, the Tar Heels went on an 8-0 run to jump out by seven, causing MSU’s Tom Izzo to call a timeout; the Spartans were just one for their last 11 from the field at the time.
Michigan State got it back with an even bigger run of its own. The Spartans scored the next 13 points immediately after UNC’s spurt to flip their seven-point deficit into a six-point lead in the closing minutes of the half. One of the highlights of the run was Carson Cooper catching and dunking a lob with one hand, and drawing the foul.
MSU ended up going into the locker room with a 33-28 lead. The Spartans utilized a balanced scoring attack to start, as well — eight different players scored in the first half, but Carr’s six points were the most on the team.
Second Half
The action was a bit frantic to open the second half. Cooper converted another three-point play to start the scoring, but North Carolina went on a mini-run to cut the lead down again.
Michigan State weathered that, but the pace started to favor the Tar Heels, rather than the Spartans. Per KenPom, Carolina was in the top 50 nationally in adjusted tempo, while Michigan State was well into the 200s. The Spartans still maintained their lead, but MSU wasn’t able to really build on top of it.
The lead for Michigan State was still exactly five at the midway point of the second half. North Carolina had its offense working well, but MSU seemed to have responses each time the Tar Heels scored, or a stop anytime UNC had the ball in a one-possession game.
Finally, with about seven minutes to go, the Spartans found a way to stretch it out. MSU hit a 9-0 burst to make the lead a dozen before North Carolina called timeout with 5:17 to go. It was the first double-digit lead for either side.
The Tar Heels started feeding their best player, Caleb Wilson, to try and spur a late comeback. It wasn't enough; MSU kept the lead at 12 into the final media timeout and cruised to yet another victory over a ranked opponent.
Notable Performances
Jeremy Fears Jr.: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists
Carson Cooper: 14 points, 6 rebounds
Jaxon Kohler: 10 points, 11 rebounds
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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