MSU proved it with a 28-7 run to end the game. All night, the Spartans and Hoosiers battled toe-to-toe, fighting like boxers in a ring, but the war of attrition always prevails. With strong offense, stellar defense, and consistent, traditional play, MSU outlasted Indiana—and if you blinked, you might have missed it.

“We’re a funny team, I said to my staff while on the bench,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “I don’t know why we weren’t consistent early in the game… but it was a good win. That’s a very good basketball team we beat, a very well coached one.”

In the first ten minutes of the game it was all Indiana… and Jeremy Fears. 

The Hoosiers played with their typical aggression, exhibiting a patient front court and aggressive back court that pushed them to a 17-10 lead. On offense, they developed plays that MSU had a tough time defending, using pick and rolls, dribble drives and smart passes that lead to open and effective shots. On defense, they swarmed MSU’s guards and doubled MSU’s post players, limiting good looks and forcing turnovers. 

Indiana started fast, opening the game with a sprint — and at first, it worked.

But MSU stayed slow and didn’t press the panic button, remaining true to its identity and sticking with the style it has always played.

Directing this constant team was Fears, a court general who did not shy away from putting the game in his hands. The sophomore guard was all in — he always is — but tonight was different. He attacked on offense, driving to the basket and drawing fouls, hitting quality shots, and running a fierce offense that never let up.

His frontcourt game was the best it’s ever been. To start the game, Fears was involved in MSU’s first 17 points—scoring 14 and assisting on a Jaxon Kohler three. While the Spartans struggled to find their rhythm early, Fears stepped up, refusing to shy away from being an offensive force and carrying MSU in the first half.

Fears would finish the game with a career high 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting, racking up ten assists, four rebounds and two steals. His impact was highlighted by a steal and fastbreak dunk at the 7:40 mark of the first half, a play that brought MSU within three and provided much-needed momentum.

“I thought that was one of [Fear's] best games,” Izzo said. “He defended pretty well, pushed the ball exceptionally well, shot the ball pretty well. As I said all along, when the head is good, the body's good. When the head dies, the body dies. He is our head and the better he plays, I think the better we play.”

Rested and coming out of halftime down 39-32, their lungs full of energy, the Hoosiers sprinted back onto the court. They returned to a firm, consistent and efficient offense while finding success with aggressive, in-your-face defense. For about ten minutes, it stayed that way — but the Spartans, cool and collected, prevailed. In a span of five minutes, MSU went on a 21-2 run to take a 72-53 lead, forcing Indiana to call two timeouts in the process.

This time, it wasn’t just Fears who rose to the occasion — it was the entire MSU team, thundering, rowdy fans included. During the run, MSU’s offense clicked on all cylinders: post players dominated the paint with offensive rebounds and putbacks, while guards found the open man and knocked down shots. Defensively, the Spartans arguably played their best basketball of the season in the backcourt, tightly following the ball and their man, poking away passes with quick hands, contesting every shot with aggressive closeouts and executing swift switches that kept Indiana from driving.

In short, MSU shut down everything the Hoosiers were successful at during the first ten minutes of both halves. 

This success wouldn’t have happened without MSU’s two freshmen. Forwards Cam Ward and Jordan Scott rose to the occasion when needed, lifting their team with a physical, hard-fought playstyle. Ward was a force under the basket, securing rebounds and putting the ball through the hoop, and Scott played fast and consistent, using his quickness and length to create separation and shoot over Indiana defenders. 

The pair's play was a motivating factor that began the 28-7 run. To finish the game, they both combined for 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and three rebounds. 

“Fears and our freshman carried us a little bit,” Izzo said. “It was 53-53 and then our two freshmen hit eight of the next ten points. Ward and Scott, we need them to come around. I really like what Scott did. He can guard, he's tough, he can rebound. He's improving every day.”

In a race, the tortoise always beats the hare—a truth that seems to hold for Michigan State basketball. On Tuesday, MSU outworked Indiana in a war of attrition, and it looks poised to do the same on its West Coast road trip, where the Spartans will take on Washington and then Oregon.