MSU makes a statement in bounce-back win, rout USC 80–51

Michigan State didn’t just respond to a little adversity on Monday night — it obliterated it. In its first game back home after a frustrating two-point loss at Nebraska, No. 12 Michigan State delivered a cathartic, wire-to-wire dismantling of USC, cruising to an 80–51 victory in East Lansing.

On Izzone Alumni Night, in front of a raucous Breslin Center crowd, MSU delivered exactly the response it needed — a reminder that when locked in defensively and playing with freedom offensively, the Spartans remain one of the Big Ten’s best.

From the opening tip, MSU played free, aggressive, and connected, smothering a USC team that entered the night as the conference’s second-highest scoring offense. By the end of the night, the Trojans looked eager to board a plane back to California, their body language matching the scoreboard as the Spartans held them to just 33% shooting from the floor and an icy 18% from three.

The win improved MSU to 13–2 overall and 3–1 in conference play, while USC fell to 12–3 (1–3 Big Ten). The Trojans have now suffered blowout losses to both Michigan and Michigan State by a combined 59 points. The victory for MSU also avenged a 70-64 loss in Los Angeles last season and delivered Tom Izzo his 750th career victory.

The opening minutes suggested a grind-it-out affair, as both teams struggled to find their rhythm offensively. USC jumped out to a quick 5–0 lead as MSU missed early looks, but it quickly became apparent that the Spartans were dictating the terms defensively.

USC’s game plan was clear: dare Coen Carr to shoot from the perimeter and try to wall off the paint. Carr answered in the most emphatic way possible, soaring for a thunderous dunk to put MSU on the board and ignite the Breslin Center crowd. That basket proved to be the spark that flipped the game.

Moments later, Divine Ogochukwu — playing his first game since returning from injury — tossed an alley-oop to Carson Cooper, giving Michigan State its first lead at 6–5. From there, the floodgates opened.

Kur Teng’s floater capped an 8–0 Spartan run, while USC spiraled into a brutal shooting stretch. The Trojans missed 12 of their next 13 shots, going 0-for-7 from the field during that span as MSU’s defense swallowed driving lanes and contested every look.

Jerry Easter II finally ended the drought with a layup, but by then the momentum was firmly with the green and white.

Jordan Scott buried a trey to push the lead to 13–7, and Jeremy Fears Jr. began to assert himself as the game’s conductor. The freshman guard knocked down a deep two followed by another smooth jumper, showcasing the poise and confidence that continues to elevate SU’s offense.

After Cam Ward cleaned up a missed Fears shot with a powerful putback dunk, Carr knocked down a step-in jumper — his first made jump shot of the night — to make it 21–11. USC, meanwhile, opened the game shooting just 4-for-22 from the floor.

Then came Jaxon Kohler.

The junior big man, left wide open at the top of the arc, drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to blow the game open. In the span of just over three minutes, the Spartans ripped off a 14–2 run, stretching their lead to 27–11 and effectively breaking USC’s resistance.

Ezra Ausar briefly halted the bleeding with a jumper, but Kur Teng answered immediately, and Jordan Scott added another bucket as the Spartans pushed the margin to 31–14. Although MSU closed the half on a brief scoring drought, the damage was already done.

At halftime, Michigan State held a commanding 33–17 lead, having limited the Big Ten’s second-ranked scoring team to 6-for-28 shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

Carr opened the half by catching a pass from Kohler on the move, exploding to the rim for a two-handed poster dunk while absorbing contact. Carr calmly knocked down the free throw, setting the tone for a second half that mirrored the first.

Following a USC turnover, Fears sliced through the defense for a running layup. Another Trojan giveaway led to one of the night’s highlights: Fears scooped up a loose ball and delivered a slick behind-the-back pass to Teng for an easy finish, pushing the lead to 46–26 with under 16 minutes to play.

Fears continued to punish USC with back-to-back floaters, and when Teng added a jumper on the next possession, Michigan State had hit five straight field goals and extended its lead to 52–30.

Kohler’s offensive efficiency was the exclamation point on the night. After Ausar converted another and-one to make it 62–40, Kohler stepped into yet another three, improving to 5-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-3 from deep. With just under seven minutes remaining, the Spartans led 67–42, and the outcome was no longer in doubt.

The only interruption came at the 6:01 mark, when a fan was ejected for yelling at an official — drawing a rare mid-game reaction from Tom Izzo, who emphatically told the fan to leave from the bench. Perhaps the most stunning part of this whole episode was it being former Spartan big Paul Davis.

Back on the floor, Carr finally connected from beyond the arc after missing his first four attempts, pushing the lead to 72–48. Kohler later added an and-one hook shot, finishing the night a perfect 6-for-6 with 16 points and eight rebounds, narrowly missing his sixth straight double-double.

With a minute left and the score at 77–51, Izzo emptied his bench. Jordan Scott punctuated the evening with one final trey, sealing an 80–51 victory that felt as dominant as any Michigan State performance this season.

A Statement Win

Carr led all scorers with 18 points and six rebounds, while Kohler’s flawless shooting night and floor-spacing changed the complexion of the game. Fears added 15 points and seven assists, orchestrating the offense with maturity well beyond his years. MSU also won the battle on the glass, outrebounding USC 39–30.

For USC, Ausar’s 16 points and seven rebounds provided little consolation, as the Trojans never found rhythm or confidence.