In a game that remained tight until late in the second half, MSU (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) pulled away to secure a 75-66 win over Purdue (19-8, 11-5 Big Ten).

This marked MSU’s second win in the last 11 meetings and its first home victory over Purdue since Feb. 26, 2022 — the same game where Tyson Walker’s last-second three-pointer stunned the Boilermakers. Tuesday’s win wasn’t quite as dramatic, but it had its moments.

Here are the biggest takeaways from MSU’s 75-66 win over Purdue.

Scoring runs gave MSU control

MSU didn’t fully take control until the second half. In the first, Purdue held a slight edge, capitalizing on MSU’s rare mistakes and consistent shooting. The Boilermakers were in control — just a little bit, but enough to keep MSU away from taking over. Purdue’s scrappiness helped it pick up necessary points: at the half, Purdue had three offensive rebounds, five points off turnovers and five fast-break points.

Near the end of the first half, MSU didn’t hit a single field goal in over five minutes and were down 26-20. Desperation seemed to kick in.

Then Coen Carr happened. After Richardson hit four free throws to make the game within two, he lobbed from outside the three-point line to a lone Carr. Airborne and seemingly stuck off the ground, Carr floated until the ball sunk into his hands, followed by a monstrous dunk that shook Breslin. Game tied.

"You throw it up to someone like Coen Carr, it does a lot. It ignites everybody," Richardson said postgame. 

MSU ended the first half on a 13-5 run to gain a two-point lead, 33-31, at the break. 

In the first 12 minutes of the second half, MSU committed only one turnover and finished with eight the entire game. The lack of turnovers helped the Spartans produce more on offense, helping their down-low play. MSU finished the game with 42 points in the paint, as opposed to Purdue’s 24, and utilized its bigs for most of the game.

Possibly MSU’s biggest scoring run happened with 12 minutes left, where the Spartans went on an unanswered, 9-0 run in just over a minute, which brought the lead to 13. From here, MSU maintained its momentum and control to the final whistle. The final blow against Purdue was another Richardson-Carr dunk, with under a minute left, to seal the game.

Another balanced team performance

MSU has embraced its "Strength in Numbers" motto all season. Not one player has outshined all others in almost every game, either on offense or defense.

An early thought was that senior guard Jaden Akins would be the go-to guy — a main shooter. Sure, he leads the team in points per game and is only one of two players who has started all 26 games, but he’s not the only Spartan who continues to impact the game.

Tuesday’s game was another testament to MSU’s depth and how every role contributes to winning crucial Big Ten matchups.

Every player but freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and sophomore forward Xavier Booker scored, but between the two of them, they only shot the ball four times. Richardson, Akins, Fidler and Carr all scored in double digits and combined for 43 points, while this was both Richardson and Fidler’s 11th game this season with 10-plus points. Every player who stepped on the court recorded at least one rebound, and Kohler, Zapala and Carr all had four each.

Fears Jr. and Holloman were the playmakers, tallying a combined 12 of MSU’s 20 assists, and Richardson had three. MSU finished with 20 assists on 28 baskets, an incredible feat that proved to be successful for their offense.

MSU’s scoring runs were fueled by selflessness: the kick-out to Fidler for the three-pointer, the pass inside to Cooper for the easy bucket, and Richardson’s alley-oop to the gravity-defying Carr for a statement dunk. 

A team is only as strong as its weakest link, but as a team with such a deep roster, MSU is by no means weak. The Spartans have established itself as a team that can come back and win games and produce season-defining wins against top-ranked teams.

Purdue’s Smith and Kaufman-Renn paved success

Junior guard Braden Smith and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn kept Purdue in the game for as long as they could. Without them, and the minor help from junior guard Fletcher Loyer, Purdue’s offense wouldn’t have been as productive or efficient. 

Kaufman-Renn and Smith combined for 12 of Purdue’s first 15 points and finished the half with 17 on 50% shooting. At the break, Loyer didn’t do much — he hit a lone three-pointer and grabbed two rebounds.

Smith was the main playmaker. Entering Tuesday’s game, he had averaged almost nine assists per game and almost reached that after 40 minutes, with eight. However, he gave away six turnovers, half of the team’s total.

The trio scored 49 of all Purdue points, put up 13 of Purdue’s 21 rebounds and 15 of its 16 assists. Loyer played 31 minutes, Smith 39 and Kaufman-Renn 33, leading the team. 

A team different offensively than last year, due to Zach Edey departing for the NBA, the Boilermakers have relied on Smith and Kaufman-Renn to spark energy this entire season. With much success so far — 19 overall wins and 11 conference wins — MSU was too much for Purdue and was able to grab another win. 

"You want to be playing your best basketball at the end of February, and March," Fidler said postgame. "This is big for us."

What this win means going forward

On Friday, the Spartans will meet Michigan for the first time in over a year. Both teams enter Friday’s game with plenty at stake. MSU stands at 21-5 (12-3 Big Ten), while Michigan is 20-5 (12-2). The Wolverines are the Big Ten’s only undefeated home team at 12-0 and are riding a six-game win streak.

Tuesday’s win keeps MSU second in the Big Ten race, trailing Michigan and just ahead of Wisconsin. Purdue dropped after home losses to Wisconsin and MSU. The last time MSU won the Big Ten was during the 2019-2020 season, which featured a team that could’ve done favorably well if not for a shortened season due to the pandemic.

Two of MSU’s five regular season games left are at home. Though the Spartans have a shaky 5-2 away record, one thing is clear: at home, MSU is practically unstoppable. 

With the exception of MSU’s loss to Indiana last week, the Spartans have won an outstanding 13 games at home. They’ve come back from deficits, maintained momentum in blow-out victories, and like tonight, showed they can take control of games within minutes.

"It is the gauntlet of schedules, but what an opportunity," Izzo said postgame. "We just got to take care of our business. It’s a task. It’ll be fun sleeping in late March because it’s not going to happen in the next week, that’s for sure." 

MSU will carry its momentum into Crisler Center for a highly anticipated rivalry matchup against Michigan. Tipoff is set for Friday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports.