Spartans Secure Hard-Fought Win Over Colgate in Opener
EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Things were a tad closer than many would have liked, but Michigan State got off to a 1-0 start on Monday night by taking down Colgate, 80-69.
The Raiders actually tied the game at two points during the second half, but MSU used a 15-2 run that began with about 13 minutes remaining to finally separate from its opponent, and was able to keep Colgate from truly getting within striking distance.
Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and senior forward Jaxon Kohler both had double-doubles. Fears did it with 14 points and 10 assists, and Kohler did it with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Michigan State's next game is on Saturday against No. 14 Arkansas and John Calipari in the Breslin Center.
First Half
Colgate opened the scoring by hitting a three-pointer right on the possession right after the opening tip-off. MSU quickly responded with an 8-0 run; Fears got the first bucket of the season.
This game was not exactly a shootout early on. Ten minutes into the game, the score was just 13-10, Spartans.
The pace of the game began to pick up as the half progressed. Colgate had been getting back on defense quickly off of its missed shots, which slowed the game down and forced Michigan State into a half-court offense more.
MSU started finding some quick outlet passes, which led to some shots earlier in the shot clock, with one being Coen Carr's tomahawk slam.
Despite the faster pace later on in the first half, which is probably what Michigan State wanted, Colgate found ways to stay within striking distance. The Raiders going 6-for-14 from long range helped that effort, with one going through with one second to go.
MSU's largest lead during the first half was just seven, despite leading for 18:38 of the first 20 minutes. It had to settle for a 37-34 lead entering halftime.
Second Half
The look of the beginning of the second half was not much different from the first. Colgate kept scoring whenever Michigan State scored.
Colgate actually tied it twice in the early goings, but couldn't break through the barrier and take a lead. The Spartans continued to struggle with finding extra breathing room, as well.
Roughly seven or eight minutes in, MSU finally went on a run and got the crowd excited.
A 15-2 spurt over four minutes or so skyrocketed the lead to 15, the largest gap of the night at that point. The crescendo, at least from a crowd standpoint, of the run was an off-the-backboard alley-oop from Fears to Coen Carr, which forced the Raiders to use a timeout.
Colgate was not ready to tap out yet. The Raiders went on a quick 8-0 run to get back within seven.
MSU still built it back up into double figures, though, and the final result was never really in doubt down the stretch.
Things got a little testy, though. Right after the under-4 media timeout began, head coach Tom Izzo received a technical foul, as did Colgate's Andrew Alekseyenko after he had converted an and-1.
Michigan State was in cruise control after that and finished off its first win of the 2025-26 season by a final score of 80-69.
Notable Performances
G Jeremy Fears Jr.: 14 pts, 10 asts, 5 rebs, 5 stls
F Jaxon Kohler: 16 pts, 15 rebs, 1 blk, 2 stls
F Coen Carr: 12 pts, 4 rebs, 2 asts, 1 blk
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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.