MSU went on a 16-1 run in the first half and much of that momentum continued, fueled by a raucous crowd and nonstop aggression that put the game out of reach early for Iowa. 

Now 8-0 with its first win in the Big Ten, this is MSU's best start to a season since the 2015-16 season, when MSU started 15-0. 

After the game, head coach Tom Izzo said this game showcased what MSU’s defense can be. Led by rebounding and physicality, MSU played into its culture of the past 30 years.

"I’ll be honest, it's really important, it's our culture," Izzo said. "And yes, we still can have a culture in this day, we got one, and I don’t plan on that changing."

With newly-hired head coach Pat Fitzgerald sitting one row behind the MSU bench, the team played with a fury that never wavered, even after long threes and the Spartans’ fair share of turnovers. 

In a traditionally Izzo-like contest, Tuesday night’s win featured MSU dominating on the glass. Even on the offensive glass, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper fought for tough boards, leading to easy put-backs. 

MSU grabbed 37 rebounds to Iowa’s 18. MSU has now outrebounded its opponents 287-201 this season. MSU took hold of 56% of its own misses for offensive rebounds, leading to 21 second-chance points to Iowa’s 4.

This year’s team has depth that rivals last year’s squad. MSU scored 20 bench points led by Jesse McCulloch’s career high of 9. Izzo said this team has really impressed him to this point. 

"Our depth is really coming along. Our rebounding is really coming along. Point guard play is critical if you're going to be one of those teams, and that is really, really coming along," Izzo said. 

Going into tonight, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz led all Hawkeyes with more than 18 points per game. MSU limited the fierce scorer to a quiet 14 points, a testament to improved perimeter defense and relentless rebounding down low.

Coen Carr led MSU with 15 points and 5 rebounds, while Jeremy Fears Jr. followed with 14 points and 5 assists. Every Spartan contributed and never gave Iowa a chance to claw its way back.

52 points is the fewest MSU has allowed since a 22-point victory over Minnesota last year, where they permitted 51.

Sophomore guard Kur Teng showed much-needed improvement in his defense against a fiery pair of Hawkeye guards. Teng scored 7 on 4-of-8 from the field and provided a spark in much-needed moments.

At the beginning of the season, the Spartans were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country, shooting 21.67% from 3 in their first three games. MSU has since shot over 40% from beyond the arc with improved confidence all around. 

Freshman standout Cam Ward was out tonight with a strained wrist he sustained in Fort Myers against North Carolina. It's unclear if he will play against Duke on Saturday.

MSU’s biggest shortcoming in this one was its season-high in turnovers with 14. A slew of sloppy passes throughout gave Iowa unnecessary chances, especially in the second half.

MSU now looks to No. 4 Duke on Saturday, Dec. 6, at noon. The Blue Devils, led by future NBA lottery pick freshman Cameron Boozer, are the toughest opponent to come to the Breslin Center since 2019, when Duke was here last.