Michigan State walked into the Champions Classic and turned Duke’s first real test into a lesson.
The fifth-ranked Spartans beat the Blue Devils 79-73 on Tuesday night in Chicago, a result that said plenty about both teams. Michigan State improved to 3-0 and looked every bit like an early national contender. Duke, which had rolled through its first two games, fell to 2-1 and left the United Center with real questions about how its offense holds up when the easy looks disappear.
That had not been a problem for Duke in its first week. The Blue Devils had averaged 98.5 points and shot 55% in wins over Army and Coastal Carolina, looking as dangerous as advertised.
Michigan State changed the picture completely. Duke shot just 33.3% from the field, went 7 for 29 from 3-point range and spent most of the night fighting for every clean possession it could find.
The Spartans set that tone early. Duke managed only 25 points in the first half, making 7 of 27 shots over the opening 20 minutes as Michigan State built a 34-25 halftime lead.
The pressure came from everywhere: eight blocks, 13 turnovers forced and seven steals. Jordan Scott was a major part of that with six blocks, giving the Spartans a rim protection presence that let them stay aggressive all over the floor.
Duke’s problems didn’t stop at the arc or in the paint. The Blue Devils also missed chances at the free-throw line, finishing 26 of 37 there. That mattered even more once they started clawing back in the second half, because every empty trip made the comeback steeper.
Jeremy Fears Jr. was the steady hand Michigan State needed. He finished with 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, and he had already piled up eight assists by halftime.
One of his best first-half sequences came when he drove inside and set up Ethan Taylor for a 3-pointer, helping Michigan State keep control before the break. When Duke made its push late, Fears helped close the door.
Michigan State stretched the margin to 50-36 with 13:37 left, but Duke kept coming and got within 73-68 with a little more than two minutes remaining. Scott answered with a driving layup, then Fears added two free throws with 39 seconds left to help finish it off.
Cam Ward added 14 points for the Spartans. John Blackwell led Duke with 17, and Patrick Ngongba II scored 11, but the Blue Devils never found the consistent offense needed to fully threaten Michigan State’s grip on the game.
For Duke, the loss doesn’t erase anything in November. But it did expose the kind of issue that can matter against elite competition: when opponents take away transition chances and force half-court execution, the Blue Devils need another gear. Against Michigan State, they didn’t find it.
For the Spartans, the win carried real weight. It was their first against Duke since December 2020, and it moved them to 7-9 in Champions Classic history. More than that, it showed a team with physical defense and strong guard play can control a game against one of the sport’s most talented rosters.
Duke goes home to face SIU Edwardsville on Friday. Michigan State hosts Northern Iowa the same night.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Weighs In On A CFP Change Duke Fans Should Watch
As the College Football Playoff moves toward a 24-team format, Manny Diaz is already thinking about what the change could mean for the sport beyond just the bracket itself. The Duke coach said he does not support eliminating conference championships, arguing that a playoff should still begin inside the leagues and reward teams for what they do on the field rather than leave so much to committee judgment.
Diaz also pointed to a likely side effect Duke fans should keep an eye on: the growing uncertainty around bowl games in an expanded playoff era. If more teams are pulled into the postseason picture, those traditional December matchups could lose some of the relevance they have carried for years, even as the postseason itself gets bigger and more inclusive. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Needs One More Scoring Threat To Take Down Duke
Michigan State heads into the Championship Classic with a clear formula in mind: lean on Jeremy Fears to steady the offense, get enough production from the center spot, and keep Duke from dictating the game with its defense. The Spartans have the kind of structure that can make a high-profile nonconference matchup interesting, especially if their key pieces hold up against the pressure that comes with facing a team like Duke.
What Michigan State still needs, though, is one more scorer it can count on when the Blue Devils start taking away the primary options. An additional double-digit threat would go a long way toward making this a real test for Duke, because the margin for error shrinks quickly when the defense is this good. The question now is whether the Spartans can find that extra punch in time to make the matchup far more competitive than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Mia Minestrella's Winner Put Duke On The Verge Of History
Mia Minestrella delivered the kind of moment Duke womens soccer has built its reputation on, stepping to an overtime penalty kick and burying it in a 5-4 comeback win over Wake Forest. The seniors finish tied the programs career goal record at 47 and sent Duke into the ACC Championship semifinals, while also helping the Blue Devils reach their 500th program victory.
For a team that had to climb all the way back in one of the biggest comeback wins in ACC Championship history, the night carried more than one layer of significance. Minestrellas latest goal added to a career already packed with big moments, and it left Duke on the verge of history with the tournament still ahead. [Read more 🡒]