MSU finds a way at Rutgers, wins 88-79 in OT, grabs share of first place

After everything came easily against Maryland over the weekend, nothing was simple Tuesday night in Piscataway.

Delayed flights pushed Michigan State’s arrival late into New Jersey, and the sluggish start that followed nearly cost the Spartans their winning streak. Instead, No. 7 Michigan State showed resilience, erasing a double-digit second-half deficit and escaping with an 88–79 overtime win over a scrappy Rutgers team.

Michigan State trailed for most of the night and was down 12 points with less than 10 minutes to play before flipping the game late and dominating overtime. The win extended MSU’s streak to seven straight and moved the Spartans to 19–2 overall and 9–1 in Big Ten play. Rutgers fell to 9–12 overall and 2–9 in conference action.

The Spartans looked out of sync from the opening tip. Rutgers jumped out to a 21–13 lead in the first 10 minutes as Michigan State committed five early turnovers and the Scarlet Knights knocked down timely three-pointers. Rutgers’ pressure defense slowed MSU’s tempo and forced the Spartans into half-court possessions, where turnovers continued to mount.

Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jaxon Kohler both picked up two early fouls, limiting each to just 11 first-half minutes. Fears managed only two points before the break, and Michigan State struggled to generate offense without him. Rutgers capitalized, scoring 17 points off turnovers as MSU coughed it up 10 times in the half.

Led by Tariq Francis’ 12 points and disruptive defense, Rutgers controlled pace and momentum, taking a 37–28 lead into halftime.

Michigan State returned with more urgency, but Rutgers continued to answer with tough shots, pushing the lead back to 12 midway through the half. With under 10 minutes remaining, ESPN analytics gave MSU just a 9 percent chance to win.

The Spartans slowly chipped away. A 9–2 run cut the margin to five, and a late shot-clock three by Coen Carr kept MSU within striking distance. With 1:52 remaining, Fears converted a driving and-one to tie the game for the first time since early in the first half.

After Rutgers regained a three-point edge, sophomore Divine Ugochukwu delivered the defining shot of regulation, drilling a corner three with 11.1 seconds left to force overtime. Rutgers had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Francis’ attempt came up short.

Once the extra period began, the momentum finally shifted fully to Michigan State. Kohler scored the first five points of overtime, and Fears took control from there, attacking the rim and living at the free-throw line. Rutgers wore down as MSU capitalized, pulling away for a nine-point overtime victory.

Michigan State outscored Rutgers 18–9 in overtime and finished the night with a decisive 45–22 rebounding advantage, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points.

Fears delivered a career-best 29 points, scoring 27 of them in the second half and overtime. He added nine assists and four rebounds and went 16-for-17 at the free-throw line, including 8-for-8 in the final 57.5 seconds.

Carson Cooper posted his second career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Coen Carr contributed 13 points and eight boards in 35 minutes. Ugochukwu finished with nine points and six assists, highlighted by the game-tying three.

Head coach Tom Izzo was blunt afterward, saying Rutgers “outplayed us 90 percent of the game,” but credited the late three-pointers from Carr and Ugochukwu for setting the stage for Fears to take over.

Michigan State now turns its attention back to East Lansing, where the Spartans return to the Breslin Center on Friday night for a marquee matchup against No. 3 Michigan. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, with the game airing nationally on FOX.