Photo: Vincent Carchietta ~ IMAGN IMAGES
EAST LANSING, Jan. 25, 2025 ~ #8 Michigan State basketball (17-2) defeated Rutgers (10-10) 81-74 Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden for the team’s 12th consecutive win of the season. Freshman guard Jase Richardson led the Spartans with a career-high 20 points while sophomore forward Coen Carr followed with 14 points, a team-high eight rebounds, and two blocks to help the green and white stay undefeated (8-0) in Big Ten play.
Michigan State’s bench scored 50 of the team’s 81 points, as sophomore forward Xavier Booker chipped in nine points, four rebounds, and four blocks to help bring the energy for the green and white. Out of all the starters, senior guard Jaden Akins led the way with 12 points while struggling from the field, shooting 3-15.
Booker and Carr turned hustle into highlights throughout the afternoon, but it was Carr who turned in the most impressive clip of the two on a crucial second-half breakaway opportunity.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
This angle of Coen Carr's tomahawk dunk is INSANE. @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/cBNrhHvHNr
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 25, 2025
(CONTINUED) Junior point guard Tre Holloman also scored nine points to go with a team-high six assists to help boost the starting lineup.
MSU held potential top NBA Draft pick Ace Bailey to a 4-17 shooting performance, but the freshman forward still managed to tally 18 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Jordan Derkack led all scorers with 26 points.
Michigan State shot the ball well from the field, converting 27 of 56 shots while Rutgers only could make 23 of 68. Neither team shot well from beyond the arc, something the Spartans have struggled with this year, doing so at a 28.8% rate.
With the win, head coach Tom Izzo is now two wins shy of the conference all-time record (653) set by Bob Knight.
Izzo’s next chance to get within one game of tying the record to stay perfect atop the Big Ten will be next Tuesday, Jan. 28 at home against Minnesota. Coverage on 760 WJR will start at 7 p.m.
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