Sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. scored a career-high 18 points to lead all Spartans, followed by Jaxon Kohler and Coen Carr with 13. The three combined to shoot 5-for-11 from 3 and were go-to scorers all night. 

As MSU came out for the second half, the Spartans turned stagnant and at one point shot 1-8 from the field. Head coach Tom Izzo, after the game, said there’s a lot more for his team to do to become the best version of itself. 

"We're still not consistent enough for me," Izzo said. "I just didn't think we played as good as we can play."

MSU went down south for the Fort Myers Tip-Off, beating East Carolina 89-56 on Tuesday and will face No. 16 North Carolina on Thanksgiving at 4:30 p.m.

Hockey

Last weekend No. 1 MSU hockey hosted No. 7 Wisconsin, looking to remain undefeated in Big Ten play. 

In Game 1, the Spartans took an early 2-0 lead but gave up four goals in the second frame. While MSU tied the game, Wisconsin responded with a goal of its own, and the Spartans fell short, 5-4. 

The team looked to bounce back in Game 2 but trailed 1-0 after giving up a power-play goal — just as it had the night before. The Spartans generated several strong scoring chances in the final period, tying the game 1-1 with 39 seconds left in regulation. Despite multiple breakaways in overtime, MSU fell short again, losing 2-1 in sudden death.

While the Spartans lost, their performance on Saturday was much sharper than the previous night, embodying the kind of team they want to be. 

"Credit to Wisconsin, I think they're the best team we played this year," head coach Adam Nightingale said. "To stay with it, to tie it up with 20 seconds there, I think that says a lot about our group and what we want to be as a program."

With the sweep, the Spartans drop to 9-3-0 overall and 4-2-0 in conference play. The team is now ranked No. 3 and will host Colgate in a two-game series starting Wednesday, Nov. 26. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. EST.

Football

The disappointing season continued for MSU football as its losing streak reached eight games with a 20-17 loss to Iowa.

This was one of the most frustrating losses yet, as the Spartans carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter while completely shutting down the Hawkeyes’ offense.

By the end of the third quarter, Iowa had just 142 total yards, only 30 through the air — a measly output compared to MSU’s 309 total yards. But the script flipped in the final 15 minutes.

The Spartan offense stalled, managing just one first down in the fourth quarter, while the defense faltered for the first time all game. Iowa’s offense finally found its rhythm, piling up 159 yards — 117 passing — in the quarter alone, ultimately setting up the game-winning field goal in the closing seconds.

MSU’s complete late-game collapse led to what may be its most unforgivable loss in a season full of frustration for the fanbase, sparking renewed calls for head coach Jonathan Smith’s firing — a situation junior linebacker Jordan Hall does not understand.

"The bash that Coach Smith gets, it appalls me," Hall said. "He’s a great coach, a great man and he leads well, and I stand by him."

The Spartans (3-8) will close out the season at Ford Field on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Maryland (4-7), looking to avoid their first season without a Big Ten win since 1958.

Women’s Soccer

No. 2 seeded MSU women’s soccer made history as they secured their first ever trip to the Elite Eight by beating Colorado 2-1. This was the Spartans third trip to the Sweet Sixteen in program history, each appearance coming consecutively in the past three seasons.

Junior midfielder Bella Najera started the Spartans off with a bang, scoring 46 seconds into the game to give MSU a precarious lead. The Buffaloes fought back to level it, but Najera once again stepped up and sunk a penalty to make history in the 56th minute.

The Spartans will travel to Stanford to take on the No. 1 ranked and seeded Cardinals at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 28. 

Women’s Basketball

No. 20 MSU women’s basketball closed its opening homestand with a perfect 6-0 record, showcasing early-season dominance in the process. The Spartans have scored at least 92 points in every game this season, reached 100 three times and won by at least 32 in each contest.

This past week, MSU took down Eastern Illinois 101-53 on Thursday and Oakland 102-41 on Sunday.

The team’s aggressive defense has continued to be a major factor, averaging 19 steals per game while forcing 30.3 turnovers.

Some of the top performances came from sophomore forward Juliann Woodard, who scored 17 points in just under 14 minutes on 5-for-6 shooting from 3-point range against Eastern Illinois. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair stood out against Oakland, posting a career-high 25 points with five steals and four assists despite not playing in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans will not return to the Breslin Center for more than a month. They will first travel to the Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops Tournament, opening play Friday against Temple (3-3) at 6:30 p.m. Their Sunday opponent will be either Clemson or Western Carolina, depending on tournament results.

"We're ready for it. You know, that's what the biggest thing is right now. We need it," head coach Robyn Fralick said regarding the upcoming tournament. "The phrase we use in our program is, 'When it’s time to hoop, you hoop.' I don’t care if you’re home, on the road, hot, cold, morning, night, and we haven’t had that yet."

Volleyball

Late-season struggles for MSU volleyball continued this week, as the Spartans fell into a four-match losing streak after another winless stretch.

The stretch began with a road trip to No. 24 Penn State on Friday, where MSU was swept in straight sets, 3-0, followed by a Sunday matchup at Ohio State. After dropping the first set, the Spartans battled back to tie the match at 1-1 before ultimately falling 3-1. The two losses dropped MSU below .500 in Big Ten play at 8-10.

Next, the Spartans (18-10) return home to East Lansing to host No. 14 USC (22-6) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and UCLA (16-12) on Friday at 1 p.m., looking to close the season on a strong note and earn a Senior Day win.

Men’s Tennis

MSU men’s tennis had a strong week at the NCAA Individual Championships, as senior Ozan Baris and sophomore Matthew Forbes both earned All-American honors.

Baris fell in the quarterfinals, losing in three sets to Columbia’s Michael Zheng on Friday, but still earned his fourth career All-American honor. His multiple All-American selections and three straight quarterfinal appearances make him one of the most accomplished players in program history. Meanwhile, Forbes’ tournament run ended Thursday in the round of 16.

The Spartans will not return to the court until team dual play begins during the spring season in mid-January.

Cross Country

The MSU men’s cross country team and sophomore Rachel Forsyth competed Saturday at the NCAA Championships in Columbia, Missouri.

The men’s team finished 23rd in the 10K race with 547 points, while Forsyth placed 48th overall in the women’s 6K with a time of 19:30.5.

The 23rd-place finish marked the Spartans’ best team result since 2020, when they finished 17th. This year’s team was led by redshirt freshman Thomas Westphal, who placed 59th with a career-best time of 29:19.0.

The athletes will now take time off before beginning training for the indoor track season.

Wrestling

MSU wrestling traveled to Philadelphia for the 29th Keystone Classic on Sunday, where 10 Spartans reached the podium.

The standout performance came from redshirt junior Kael Wisler, who won the 197-pound bracket. His teammate, redshirt sophomore heavyweight Max Vanadia, also reached the finals but placed second.

MSU will return to action Dec. 5, traveling to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, to face Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m.