Michigan State Looks to End Losing Streak at Iowa

Michigan State has not played well when visiting Iowa in recent years. The Spartans are looking to end a three-game losing streak in Iowa City.

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, left, and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo greet each other before a NCAA Big Ten Conference men's basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. 230225 Mich St Iowa Mbb 006 Jpg | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans will travel to play their final road game of the season against the Iowa Hawkeyes. In recent years, Michigan State hasn’t fared well at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, losing all its trips to Iowa City since 2020.

In their last visit, the Hawkeyes came back from an unimaginable deficit, as the Spartans held a 13-point lead with only two minutes remaining. 

Iowa’s clutch three-point shooting stunned Michigan State, forcing the game to overtime. Fran McCaffery’s team carried the momentum from the final minutes of regulation to secure the 112-106 win.

Michigan State has had trouble slowing down the Hawkeyes’ best scorers recently. In 2022, former Iowa forward Keegan Murray led the way with a game-high 28 points, leading to a 26-point blowout for the Hawkeyes.

In 2021, it was all-American forward Luka Garza who dominated the Spartans, scoring 27 points in a 84-78 win.

For the Spartans to break their losing streak at Carver-Hawkeye, they will need to stop Iowa’s leading scorer, Payton Sandfort. The forward averages 16 points per game and will have extra motivation, as it will be the final game of Sandfort’s career at Carver-Hawkeyes, as Thursday's game against Michigan State is senior night.

But Iowa hasn’t been the same team as in years past. Traditionally, the Hawkeyes are tough to play on their home court. However, they are just 4-4 in conference play on their home court this season. 

The Spartans have been a dangerous visiting team, going 7-2 on the road this season, with their only two losses coming after a long-distance road trip, losing to USC and UCLA.

With Michigan dropping its most recent game to Maryland, Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has already clinched confernece title No. 11, tying the Big Ten record with legendary coaches Bob Knight and Ward Lambert. Izzo has also already broken one of Knight’s records this season. The record for Big Ten conference wins, earning win No. 354 against Illinois on February 15.

However, Izzo's squad still has something to play for. The Spartans can clinch the outright Big Ten regular-season title with a win and squander any hope of bitter rival, Michigan, sharing the conference title.

Tip-off for Michigan State against Iowa is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday.

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