Spartans' Defense Continues to Thrive When it Matters Most

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans held the No. 16 Maryland Terrapins scoreless from the field in the final minutes of Wednesday's 58-55 win. This continues the trend of the Spartans' defense restricting opponents in crunch time.

Feb 26, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie (0) drives to the basket against Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) during the second half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Before Michigan State junior guard Tre Holloman's game-winner against the Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday, the Spartans’ defense stepped up again.

In the final 5 minutes, the Terrapins did not make a single field goal, scoring all their points from the free-throw line. Michigan State has shown that its defense is one of the best in the country. Shutting down a ranked opponent's offense on the road just adds to the Spartans' impressive body of work.

This isn’t the first time the Spartans’ defense tightened the screws in clutch time. Against Illinois, Michigan State held the Fighting Illini without a made field goal for the final 8:29, leading to a charge from behind for the Spartans to secure a quality road victory.

Then, Michigan State did the same thing against the Michigan Wolverines at the Crisler Center. Tom Izzo’s squad held Michigan to zero points in the final 4 minutes of the game. This led to another “Kill Shot” scoring run -- as statistician Evan Miyakawa would call it -- for the Spartans, which led to a win over their rival and control of first place in the Big Ten. 

A common denominator in all three games is the closing lineup and, more specifically, the closing frontcourt. Juniors Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper have been the defensive anchors for the Spartans, making sure opposing offenses can’t get easy looks at the basket. 

There have been astonishing developments in both Kohler's and Cooper’s skills. They have gone from players who only showed flashes for a short period to being a key reason why Michigan State is a top-ten team in the nation. 

With Kohler and Cooper clogging the paint, Michigan State forces teams to beat them with jump shots. The Spartans’ perimeter defense leads the Big Ten, with opponents shooting 28% on 3s and 40% from the field. This formula has vaulted the Spartans to No. 6 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.

There are still some issues with Michigan State’s half-court execution down the stretch, as they were scoreless for the final 3 minutes until Holloman made the game-winning half-court shot.

But the Spartans' offense doesn't need to be perfect. If they can continue to hold opposing teams scoreless in crunch time, they will be an even tougher team to beat. 

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