No. 22 Michigan State Takes Down No. 14 Arkansas in Thriller
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- No. 22 Michigan State got a big win on Saturday night over No. 14 Arkansas, 69-66.
The game came down to the final seconds, but MSU got the stops that it needed and was able to pull out a resume win during just the second game of the season. The Razorbacks fell to 1-1.
Freshman Cam Ward was a major contributor in the victory, scoring 18 points and bringing down 10 rebounds during his second-ever collegiate game. Junior Coen Carr had 15 points and seven boards.
Michigan State's next game is against San Jose State on Thursday, Nov. 13 inside the Breslin Center.
First Half
The game started with some fireworks: a Coen Carr slam dunk. Arkansas scored the next six points, but the Spartans had their own 8-0 run to make it 10-6 at the first media timeout.
Some issues with live-ball turnovers popped up early in the first half, too. There were a few instances where MSU gave the Razorbacks the ball and allowed them to get some easy buckets before Michigan State could set its defense. The Spartans had fewer turnovers in the early going, but theirs felt costlier.
This was in the middle of an offensive lull for Michigan State, too, especially when Jeremy Fears Jr. was not on the floor. Arkansas' defense was tight on everything, and it seemed like nobody for MSU was finding much space on the perimeter or in the paint.
On Fears in particular, the Spartans were plus-5 during the 17:19 minutes he was on the court during the first half, and were minus-8 in just the 2:41 when he was off.
Still, even though the Razorbacks' shot-making and offense in transition looked better, the Spartans remained close. Carr and Cam Ward were both big reasons for that. Both had precisely 12 points and five rebounds during the first half, with Ward flashing some big-time potential around the rim.
Michigan State actually led for 10:16 of the first half to Arkansas' 6:52, but the Razorbacks got to enjoy a 39-36 halftime lead.
Second Half
Arkansas held onto its slim lead for a bit, but MSU gathered some momentum on a quick 5-0 spurt after a Trey Fort three (the first of the day for the Spartans) and then a Jaxon Kohler layup in transition off a stop. That gave Michigan State a 45-42 lead.
Things stayed tight for a while after that, but this time it was the Spartans with the slight advantage. It was more of how it had been all game; neither team had a lead greater than six at the under-12 timeout during the second half.
Michigan State finally got above that six-point threshold after Carr hit two free throws with 7:06 left. Arkansas answered with a three right after, but Ward had a slam in response, too. Still, the Razorbacks fought and got things within a possession as time wound down.
At the final media timeout, MSU led, 66-63, but had not scored in 2:30. Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. missed the front end of a 1-and-1 coming out of that, but the Razorbacks got the offensive rebound and that turned into two points to draw within one.
Michigan State then turned it over, and a lane violation from Carr on a Nick Pringle free throw allowed Arkansas to tie it up. Carson Cooper then had a 1-for-2 trip to give MSU a 67-66 lead again.
On the other end, Cooper perfectly contested an Acuff layup attempt, maintaining the lead and allowing the Spartans to call a timeout with the ball with 1:04 left. As the shot clock was near zero, Fears wildly shot up a three, with no other purpose than to draw a foul, and he got it. He went 2-for-3 on the trip, and Arkansas called timeout with 38.1 seconds left, down 69-66.
Again, Michigan State got a big stop. Jordan Scott had the chance to ice the game, but he went 0-for-2 at the charity stripe, giving the Razorbacks one last shot. Acuff tried a pull-up look, but that went back iron, and the ball went out of bounds and went to Arkansas after review.
Trevon Brazile put up one last attempt in the final seconds, but it was a great contest from Ward. The shot didn't hit anything and went out of bounds to Michigan State with one second left.
Notable Performances
Cam Ward: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
Coen Carr: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
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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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