If you watched Michigan State basketball on Saturday afternoon, you likely came to the conclusion that the Spartans were the definition of domination in a 91–48 victory over Maryland. Michigan State seemed to do everything right, delivering a complete performance from start to finish.

“Today was a little bit of everything,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “It was maybe [Maryland’s] trip from Illinois, maybe the fact that our guys were hungry, maybe it was our former players [in attendance], maybe our crowd was great, maybe all the above. I don’t think we’re 40 points better than Maryland, but I think today we were.”

Domination began from the tip, and did not end until the final horn sent the fans that packed the Breslin Center out in the frigid air of January. MSU’s offense was consistent; it passed the ball well, beat Maryland’s early zone defense and put the ball where it belonged with an ease that’s atypical against a Big Ten opponent.

Leading the Spartans’ swift offensive attack was their cohesion. Saturday’s game was not a one-man show; it was a complete team effort that sent the Terrapins home with their tails between their legs.

Senior forward Jaxon Kohler scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds, junior forward Coen Carr added 14 points with eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Jeremy Fears finished with 17 points and a career-high 17 assists. That assist total tied Gary Ganakas for the second-most in a single game in Michigan State history.

Michigan State’s starting five accounted for 63 points, while the bench contributed a solid 28.

From beyond the arc, the Spartans reigned — or, figuratively, rained. The three-point shot became such a weapon in MSU’s victory that even center Carson Cooper joined the party.

It would be the senior's first ever three point conversion in his 118 games played. Cooper would finish with 14 points and eight rebounds. 

“Those guys have given me a lot, and it’s good seeing them have some joy once in a while, because it's not going to happen very often,” Izzo said. “I was happy for Cooper [when he hit the three pointer]. He has improved his shot and his free throws. So if he wants to negotiate with me and say that he'll cover the ball screens and get ten rebounds if I let him shoot a three pointer, then sure, maybe we can negotiate that . Nowadays, everything's negotiable.”

To finish the day, MSU shot 61% from the field while shooting 47% from three. This success in shooting can be attributed to MSU’s patience, ball movement, aggressiveness when driving to the basket and a soft Terrapin defense that had no answer. 

Much of that success can be attributed to Michigan State’s consistency in its fast‑break execution. The Spartan defense — suffocatingly aggressive all night long — forced turnovers or secured rebounds after missed shots, then quickly pushed the ball to the other end of the court, catching Maryland off guard and converting for points. From transition defense to transition offense, it was as if an unstoppable force met a hot stick of butter: the Terrapins couldn’t slow MSU’s fast breaks. The Spartans scored 31 fast‑break points while holding Maryland to zero.

All together — the passing and the shooting and the defense to offense through the nature of fast breaks — was an effort that shows the potential of MSU’s offense, an effort that shows MSU has what it takes to compete game in and game out. 

“That was one of our best performances in years,” Izzo said. “But I don’t think Maryland was at its best, and I think that we have to be cognizant and cautiously excited because the gambit gets tougher and tougher. But to sit here at 18-2, it’s one of our best starts in the history of this school.”

What Izzo said was correct: this was Michigan State’s best performance in years. There’s an expectation that MSU will play this way against teams such as Toledo and Cornell, but not against Maryland — not a Big Ten opponent. It’s impressive, it’s poetic, and it’s a sign that Spartan basketball could be ready for Indianapolis — good enough, perhaps, for Izzo’s ninth Final Four.

MSU will look to continue its success and build its future on Tuesday, Jan. 27 as the Spartans travel to Piscataway, New Jersey where they’ll face off against Rutgers at 6:30 p.m. The game will air on Fox.