Stingy Defense Leads Michigan State to Blowout Win over USC
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- The stakes in the Breslin Center weren't as high as they were when the Spartans fought the Trojans thousands of years ago, but Troy was no match for Sparta this time around.
No. 12 Michigan State used its stingy defense to cruise to a blowout win over USC on Monday night, 80-51. The Trojans were held to only 17 first-half points, allowing MSU to open up a large lead that it never looked back from.
Not only does this result improve the Spartans to 13-2 on the season and 3-1 during Big Ten play, but it was also Tom Izzo's 750th career victory as MSU's head coach. USC dropped to 12-3 on its season, but just 1-3 to start its second season in its new conference.
The Spartans' next game will be another game at home, this time against Northwestern on Friday. NU will enter the game 8-6 overall and 0-3 against the Big Ten.
First Half
USC's defense seemed to have a good plan for Michigan State's starting lineup. Four of MSU's first shots were from Coen Carr, who was being given all the space he desired on the perimeter. USC was daring him to shoot, and he did try a few times, but went 0-for-3 on jumpers during the game's opening minutes.
Things began to open up once Izzo dug into his rotation and got shooters, such as Kur Teng, onto the floor. After USC had an early 5-0 lead, the Spartans put together a longer 13-2 run to hold a six-point lead at the under-12 timeout of the first half.
Michigan State kept taking it to the Trojans for a while longer. The home team's lead ballooned up to 19 points in the later stages of the opening half. It was the first of two "Izzone Alumni" nights, and the former students got the loudest after Jaxon Kohler hit back-to-back threes to open MSU's lead to a 16-point margin and force a USC timeout.
At the buzzer, Michigan State held a 33-17 lead. USC had only made six shots from the field in the first half, compared to nine turnovers. It was a relatively balanced scoring attack for MSU, but Kohler led both teams with eight points, also getting four rebounds in the process.
Second Half
The hope in the Breslin Center was for a low-drama second half, with MSU starting with that 16-point lead that threatened to double the Trojans' scoring output.
Michigan State fans got a highly enjoyable highlight in the first few minutes of the second half. Carr got to the middle, leaped, and then slammed it over two different USC defenders. He drew a foul in the process and converted the and-1 free throw.
Coen Carr put him on A POSTER! @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/PpZBllBa2I
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 6, 2026
There was also another flashy play that fans in attendance got to enjoy when Jeremy Fears Jr. dropped off a pass behind his back during a fastbreak, leading to two points. It really felt like party time for most of the second half, with the Spartans' lead inching into the low-to-mid 20s towards the back part of the second half.
USC was never closer than 15 during the entire second half. All in all, it added up to a needed comfortable victory for Michigan State.
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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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