In No. 13 Michigan State's best win of the season at No. 8 Purdue, the Spartans played a different style than they have all season, and it didn’t matter.
MSU was outrebounded for just the second time this season but outshot the nation’s second-best offense and capitalized on critical turnovers to outlast Purdue 76-74.
Mackey Arena had held MSU without a win for 12 years, but in a game with 12 lead changes and seven ties, the Spartans prevailed and proved they can play with the togetherness and cohesion needed to top one of the nation’s best teams.
"I love my team,” Izzo said. “We put ourselves in a position where now we have a measuring stick to say, this way you can do it when you prepare well; that's what you can do when the walk-through in the hotel was good, film sessions are good and you played with some passion, some togetherness, and that's what's going to move us forward.”
Following his career-high 20-point performance against Ohio State, Carson Cooper led all Spartans with 15 points and six rebounds. Unlikely contributors followed behind the Spartan big man. Kur Teng shot 3-for-6 from deep, scoring 13 points, his most since Dec. 16 against Toledo.
Jeremy Fears Jr. had the most points in a game in which he attempted just one free-throw all season, with 12 points on 6 assists. In a departure from his norm, Fears did not solely aim to draw fouls when driving to the hoop. Instead, he maneuvered through Purdue’s big men and scored at a 50% rate.
It was a wildly different style of game than MSU is used to. MSU was outrebounded by two and allowed the Boilermakers to score 16 second-chance points on eight offensive rebounds.
Adjusting to a different play style, the Spartans went on multiple runs in the second half to put distance between them and Purdue.
Six straight field goals early in the second half, capped by a Coen Carr slam, put the game within reach and signaled the Spartans had a chance to win at Purdue for the first time in 4,390 days.
It was MSU’s fifth-best shooting performance of the season at 52.7%, despite shooting below its average at 31.6% from three-point range.
Izzo said it was a different game for his team, but he was glad they found a way to win in the biggest moments.
“We got out-rebounded, and they were plus-ten on second chance points, so we kind of reversed our roles here a little bit,” Izzo said. “All in all, guys, we couldn't have played much better.”
Izzo also said he hopes the offense can continue to play at this level but would not sacrifice the rebounding this team has built itself on.
“I think it helps, but I wouldn't want to make a steady diet of it,” Izzo said. “You know, that's not who we are, and that's not what we are.”
Neither team could relax without risking an open three or an unforced turnover.
Purdue made a staggering number of threes and only made a few mistakes, but when they did, MSU was there to capitalize. The Spartans had 19 points off nine Purdue turnovers and only coughed the ball up six times themselves.
The first 20 minutes were among the best basketball the Big Ten has seen all season. MSU and Purdue matched each other physically, knocking down difficult shots from all areas of the court. Purdue shot 6-for-10 from three in the first half, showing MSU needed to improve its perimeter defense against guards Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Cody Cox.
MSU played with composed energy to stay within reach of the Boilermakers, a key factor in its competitiveness.
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In one of the nation’s most raucous arenas, MSU had several empty possessions, but Fears helped calm his teammates and pave the winning path.
“Cooper made a lot of plays, Cam [Ward] made big plays, Kur [Teng] made big plays and Coen [Carr],” Fears said. “All the guys that were able to come in, they contributed.”
Cooper, who scored 15 points for the seventh time this season, was in lock step with Purdue’s 6-foot-11 big man Oscar Cluff. In the first half, the advantage went to Cluff, but when the clock reset, Cooper took over, flaunting his post hook and turnaround jumper. Cooper credited the win to how well the team stayed together during Purdue’s late push.
With the win, MSU sits third in the Big Ten and would earn a top four seed, guaranteeing a bye into the third round of the conference tournament.
MSU will now head to Bloomington to face Indiana on Sunday, March 1, at 3:45 p.m. on CBS. After the Indiana road trip, MSU will round out the season against Rutgers at home and Michigan in Ann Arbor.
“We weathered the storm of all those threes, and to do that on the road in Mackey Arena, I think I'll give my team some credit on that, Izzo said.”
