MSU’s rebounding and second-chance points, amid poor free-throw shooting, helped the Spartans remain undefeated against Oregon and move on further into the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans will play the winner of the UCLA-Wisconsin match.

MSU, after having not played in five days, didn’t back down from Oregon. MSU and Oregon played each other once this season, at home, where the Spartans came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to escape Oregon’s powerhouse offense.

Back then, MSU was reeling from a tough West Coast trip, while Oregon had dropped five of six. This time, both teams entered red-hot — each riding a seven-game win streak. MSU’s seven-game win streak propelled Izzo to Big Ten Coach of the Year honors and secured an outright conference title. Like MSU, Oregon had won its last seven regular season games and its first match of the Big Ten Tournament against Indiana — the Ducks had become one of the hottest teams in the league, Izzo said.

At its core, this game was two of the current best teams in the league fighting to stay alive in the Big Ten Tournament, the first of two one-and-done contests in March. 

"We always talk about not getting complacent," Jaden Akins said postgame. "I feel like winning (the regular season) made me feel good and made me hungry even more. I feel like everybody’s on the same page. We just want to win as many games as possible."

Oregon kept pace early, erasing MSU’s small leads throughout the first half. The Spartans didn’t create separation until the final two minutes.

At halftime, MSU had already racked up 13 second-chance points, fueled by seven offensive rebounds. The Spartans controlled the glass, outrebounding Oregon 18-9, while the Ducks had zero offensive boards and no second-chance points. Rebounding and turnovers were the main components of MSU’s success in the first half, specifically in the final two minutes. 

Carson Cooper drew a charge, setting up a Jase Richardson three-pointer that extended MSU’s lead to 40-32 — one of four Spartan threes in the half. Coen Carr then stole the ball on the other end after Richardson’s three, which led to Cooper making a hook shot as the shot clock nearly expired. Carr then grabbed a defensive rebound, and, with seconds remaining, an open Jaden Akins shot a three-pointer but narrowly missed.

MSU’s tenacity and physicality led to a 42-32 lead at the break.

"(To) rebound and finish around the rim effectively really gave us that boost that we needed," Cooper said postgame. "We knew it was going to be a dogfight, and then it was ultimately just who was going to hit first, and us not being able to back down."

MSU also gave up only three shots from beyond the arc in the first half, holding Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad to only two points on 1-for-4 shooting and scoreless from three-point range. The last time MSU and Oregon faced off, Shelstad exploded for 22 points, most coming in the first half. In today’s matchup, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Tre Holloman closely guarded Shelstad for much of the game and contained him to eight points on 4-for-11 shooting and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. Shelstad also only grabbed one rebound and dished out two assists, while getting three fouls.

Rebounding in the second half proved to be a similar pattern as the first. MSU pounced on every board. The Spartans finished the game outrebounding the Ducks 36-29, and MSU grabbed 10 offensive rebounds. Rebounding and turnovers helped power MSU’s 15-0 run in the middle of the second half to bring the score to 59-43. MSU was in a short lull in the first few minutes of the second half but bounced back thanks to Richardson’s offense and Coen Carr’s rebounding.

"(Rebounding) is a way of actually measuring your heart, your toughness, your pursuit of the ball, and it’s been pretty good," Izzo said postgame. 

Free-throw struggles continued, with MSU shooting 17-for-29 — a recurring issue over the past five games.

In MSU’s last five regular-season games, the Spartans missed 28 of 94 free throws, including going 6-for-13 against Wisconsin and 20-for-30 at Iowa. Like a lot of this season, MSU was able to get to the line a lot on Friday, but couldn’t convert just about 40% of the time, unlike what this team has offered for much of its 30-plus games.

MSU’s depth remains its biggest asset in tournament play. Richardson led MSU with 17 points, while Fears Jr., Akins and Carr also scored in double figures. Carr grabbed eight rebounds, and Holloman and Fears Jr. combined for nine assists.

"One thing they want me to do is to go in there and rebound like an animal," Carr said postgame. "So when I go in there, do that, and get extra opportunities for my team, it’s amazing."

MSU will face the winner of UCLA-Wisconsin on Saturday, March 15. The game airs on Big Ten Network.