Tom Izzo got exactly the kind of game he wanted in Chicago, and Michigan State made sure Duke felt it from the opening tip.
The No. 5 Spartans knocked off No.
2 Duke 79-73 to open the Champions Classic, turning a top-five showdown into a showcase for their defense, depth and sheer physicality. The final margin was six, but Michigan State controlled the night for most of it and never let the Blue Devils settle in.
The tone was set early. Michigan State came out flying, forced five turnovers in the first four minutes and raced to an 11-2 lead.
From there, Duke spent the rest of the game trying to climb back into something the Spartans had already grabbed hold of. Michigan State led at halftime after holding Duke to 26% shooting from the field and 17% from three-point range.
Jeremy Fears Jr. was central to the first-half push, scoring or assisting on 22 of Michigan State’s 34 points before the break. The Spartans didn’t need a perfect offensive night because they kept answering whenever Duke made a push.
Big shots came from all over the lineup, with Jasiah Jervis and Carlos Medlock Jr. stepping up at times, and Jordan Scott, Cam Ward and Jesse McCullough doing the same. Fears was there too, as usual.
That kind of balance was no accident. Izzo used 11 Spartans and leaned into the depth that kept showing up in a game loaded with pressure. Michigan State’s bench outscored Duke’s by seven, and that edge mattered in a matchup that was tight everywhere else.
The defense was the real hammer. Michigan State hounded Duke possession after possession, blocked shots all over the floor and made the Blue Devils work for every look.
The Spartans had three blocks in the first eight minutes alone and kept their hands in everything. Duke’s offense never found a clean rhythm, and the Blue Devils finished at 33% from the field and 24% from three.
The numbers were messy in a few places. Michigan State actually lost the rebounding battle 40-38 and finished tied with Duke in turnovers at 13 apiece.
Duke also held slight edges in assists and fast-break points, 12-11. None of that changed the feel of the game.
Michigan State was in control for most of it, and Duke’s late push only made the final score look closer than the night really was.
The Spartans will be back home Friday against Northern Iowa at the Breslin Center for Military Appreciation Night, carrying a win over the No. 2 team in the country into East Lansing.
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