Jeremy Fears Jr. Ignites Michigan State in Record-Breaking Win Over Cornell
EAST LANSING - If Michigan State was still shaking off the holiday haze, Jeremy Fears Jr. snapped them out of it with a jolt straight out of the Spartans’ highlight reel history. Channeling a little Mateen Cleaves energy, Fears took an inbound pass coast-to-coast in under four seconds, beat the halftime buzzer, and dropped in a tough layup through contact. Just like that, MSU had a two-point lead and a whole lot of momentum heading into the break - and they never looked back.
Coming out of halftime, the ninth-ranked Spartans locked in on both ends and unleashed a 17-7 run that turned a tight game into a track meet. They overwhelmed Cornell with pace, pressure, and firepower, ultimately running away with a 114-97 victory - their highest scoring output in a regulation game in nearly 15 years.
Fears led the charge with a career-best performance: 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including three triples, plus 11 assists. The freshman point guard didn’t just stuff the stat sheet - he controlled the tempo, made the right reads, and elevated everyone around him. It was the kind of floor general performance that felt like a turning point in his young career.
Coen Carr chipped in 19 points and six boards, continuing to showcase his athleticism and finishing ability. Trey Fort added 14, Divine Ugochukwu had 12, and Kur Teng scored 10. Jaxon Kohler, meanwhile, quietly extended his streak of double-doubles to four straight games with 11 points and 10 rebounds, giving MSU a reliable interior presence.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing. Cornell came in as the nation’s most prolific three-point shooting team, and for the first 20 minutes, they looked every bit the part.
The Big Red hit MSU early with a flurry of threes, defensive pressure, and relentless energy. They built a 15-4 lead just four minutes into the game and had the Spartans on their heels.
Cornell’s physicality stood out - they attacked off the dribble, battled on the boards, and weren’t afraid to mix it up. Senior guard Adam Hinton buried a deep three to cap that early run, and the Big Red kept the pressure on. At one point, MSU trailed by 11, and Cornell held a slight edge on the glass at halftime (18-17), matching the Spartans in offensive rebounds and three-point shooting (both teams were 6-for-16 from deep).
But MSU didn’t panic. A Fort three sparked a slow rally, Jesse McCulloch followed with another, and Teng gave the Spartans their first lead of the night with a triple of his own. Still, it was Fears’ buzzer-beating layup that truly flipped the switch.
From there, it was all Spartans.
Carr set the tone after halftime with four quick points, and Kohler knocked down a three to stretch the lead. Fears kept the pressure on, slicing through the defense and dishing out dimes - including a slick lookaway pass to Jordan Scott for a corner three.
That sequence forced a Cornell timeout, but the damage was done. MSU led by nine and kept pouring it on.
A Fort three pushed the lead to double digits, and the Spartans never let Cornell get back within striking distance. They went 18-of-29 from the line in the second half, using free throws to extend their lead as Cornell’s energy started to fade. Carr’s two freebies with just under 9:30 left capped an 11-of-13 run at the stripe and pushed the lead to 22.
MSU shot 7-of-12 from beyond the arc after halftime and 46.4% for the game (13-of-28). They also dominated the glass in the second half, outrebounding Cornell 28-15 after trailing in that category at the break. Defensively, they held the Big Red to just 9-of-28 from deep after halftime - a significant drop-off for a team that entered averaging over 14 made threes per game.
Cornell still had five players in double figures, led by Connor Noard’s 19 points, and shot a respectable 45.7% from the field overall. But they couldn’t keep pace once MSU cranked up the intensity on both ends.
The 114 points marked Michigan State’s highest total since a 118-60 win over Alcorn State back in 2008. It was also the first time they hit 100 in regulation since a 109-point outing against Oakland in December 2020.
What’s Next
With nonconference play now in the rearview mirror, the Spartans (12-1) turn their attention back to Big Ten action. They’ll hit the road Friday night for a showdown with No.
13 Nebraska - a team off to a red-hot 12-0 start under Fred Hoiberg. The Cornhuskers already have impressive wins over Wisconsin and Illinois this month and will present a serious test.
MSU, however, is 2-0 in league play after handling Iowa and surviving a tight one at Penn State. While they dropped their last visit to Lincoln in December 2023, the Spartans have won 12 of the last 13 meetings with Nebraska - and they’ll be looking to reassert that dominance as conference play ramps up.
If Jeremy Fears Jr. keeps playing like this, they’ll be tough to slow down.