Michigan State Outlasts Minor Upset Bid by Oakland in Detroit
In this story:
DETROIT --- The offensive motors were sputtering a bit in the Motor City on Saturday night, as No. 9 Michigan State weathered an upset bid that got close, but not that close, by Oakland at Little Caesars Arena, 79-70.
Oakland often gives MSU a good fight each year, and this one was competitive until the final moments. The Golden Grizzlies shot 10-for-22 (45.5%) from three and caused confusion with their unique zone defense to hang around, but the Spartans still ultimately had enough to put together a victory.
Coen Carr had his best offensive performance of the season, leading Michigan State and scoring a career-high 22 points with seven rebounds. Jaxon Kohler had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Carson Cooper had 15 points, and Kur Teng had 10.
The Spartans (11-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) will now head into a break and will return on Monday, Dec. 29, for a game against Cornell at the Breslin Center, which will be MSU's final non-conference game of the regular season. Oakland (6-7, 2-0 Horizon League) returns the same day for a game at Wright State.
First Half
The start could certainly be described as sloppy for Michigan State, as Oakland had the lead for most of the early going, holding an early advantage as large as seven. MSU's offense struggled to decipher the Golden Grizzlies' unusual zone defense, resulting in some early turnovers whenever it tried to get the ball in the middle.
Spartans head coach Tom Izzo was also subbing a lot of players in and out; 11 players had seen the court just 12 minutes into the game. Some of Michigan State's offensive issue was a lack of production from the guards, who only accounted for three of MSU's first 20 points of the game.
Star point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was held to no points (no shot attempts, either) and only three assists in XX minutes during the first half.
Senior big man Jaxon Kohler was one player who was producing, though. He kept grabbing some offensive rebounds, which led to some second-chance opportunities.
Oakland was also shooting the ball much better. The Grizzlies shot 6-for-14 (42.9%) from three during the first half. Their shooters moved pretty well away from the ball, but Michigan State's defense didn't seem to be having its best game with managing screens. Entering Saturday, MSU had held its opponents to just a 29.3% clip from deep.
Even though not much seemed to be going great for the Spartans, they were able to rally and secure a 39-36 halftime lead after eight lead changes and seven ties. Fears showed some slick dribbling on MSU's final possession of the half, eventually finding Carson Cooper underneath, who slammed it through, got fouled, and converted the and-1 free throw.
Second Half
MSU looked like a much stronger team early on in the second half. The Spartans outscored Oakland 14-5 to start the second half to extend their lead out to 12, and it looked like they might pull away from the Golden Grizzlies.
OU had its much-needed response, though. The Grizzlies were able to string together some stops and chipped away at Michigan State's advantage with a lot of good looks in the paint or at the rim.
The pro-MSU crowd at LCA wouldn't be described as restless, but people did seem a little bit nervous with the Spartans' lead only being around six, with the climax of the game nearing. Oakland had some opportunities to cut Michigan State's lead to three or four with a bucket, but the Spartans' defense was able to get stops when they needed them.
MSU just made some more plays during the second half, and were able to finish out the victory.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU's game against Oakland when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW
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.
Follow jacobcotsonika