Coen Carr picked up his second foul less than five minutes into the game. Jeremy Fears went to halftime with three points. And Michigan State led No. 2 Duke by nine.
By then, Cam Ward had scored 11 points without missing from the field, Jordan Scott had blocked five shots, and Fears had already assisted on eight baskets. When Duke got within five with just over two minutes left, Scott drove for a layup. He added one more block for good measure.
No. 5 Michigan State beat Duke 79–73 on Tuesday night at the United Center in the Champions Classic. The Spartans never trailed - and the way they took the lead was exactly what Tom Izzo had been asking of his point guard.
“He’s been big on me lately, especially about pushing the ball, pushing the tempo,” Fears said after the game. “That was big on my mind, just trying to get out, get out, get out every possession.”
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