The Michigan State men's basketball team played its second consecutive Big Ten game, and its conference home opener, on Saturday afternoon, blowing out Nebraska by a final score of 89-52.
With the win, Michigan State improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play on the 2024-2025 season. Following the loss, the Cornhuskers drop to 6-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
This is the first time MSU has started 2-0 in Big Ten competition since the 2021-2022 season.
The 37-point margin of victory is the second-largest win in conference play in Michigan State men's basketball program history, not quite surpassing MSU's 51-point victory over rival Michigan in 2000, 114-63.
Michigan State guard Tre Holloman got the scoring going, hitting a 3-pointer to open the game, as MSU began the game on a 7-0 run. Center Szymon Zapala grabbed an offensive rebound and made a second-chance layup and guard Jaden Akins followed that up with a layup off of a turnover from Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers finally got on the scoreboard at the 16:51 mark of the first half when guard Brice Williams hit a layup. A basket by forward Juwan Gary and a 3-pointer by forward Berke Buyuktuncel tied the game at 7-7 with 14:57 remaining in the first half.
With 12:52 to play in the half and the game tied at 11-11, Michigan State put together an 11-2 run to take a 24-13 lead with 7:36 to go before halftime, capped off by a pair of free throws from Akins.
Nebraska responded with an 8-2 run to cut Michigan State's lead to just five points at 26-21 with 6:01 to go in the first stanza. With the momentum turning to the Cornhuskers, MSU point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. made a spectacular lob pass — from a seated position behind the 3-point line after hitting the floor — that was slammed down by forward Coen Carr on the alley-oop. The play gave the Spartans a 28-21 lead and reenergized the Breslin Center crowd.
A 3-pointer by freshman guard Jase Richardson following the alley-oop play extended the Spartans' lead back to double-digits, 31-21, with 4:49 to go before the break. Richardson added two free throws and Fears scored on a jumper to give MSU a 35-21 lead with 4:10 remaining in the opening half.
Nebraska answered with a 10-2 run, including a second-chance 3-pointer by Williams after an offensive rebound by forward Andrew Morgan. The Spartans still led at that point by a score of 37-31 with just 1:15 to go before halftime.
The Spartans closed the first half on a 4-0 run, with both buckets coming from forward/center Jaxon Kohler, and led at halftime, 41-31.
The second half was dominated by the Spartans.
Kohler carried over his momentum and scored the opening basket of the second half on a second-chance layup after grabbing an offensive board. Nebraska forward Rollie Worster immediately responded with a bucket of his own.
The score was 43-33 in the Spartans' favor with 18:37 left on the clock - but it would be all Michigan State from there on out.
The Spartans proceeded to go on a 25-1 run to put things out of reach for the Cornhuskers. Following a triple from forward Xavier Booker, MSU led 68-34 with 10:14 to play in the game.
Nebraska finally put the ball through the hoop again at the 10:01 mark, thanks to a layup by Morgan, but Michigan State continued to dominate, with the Spartans taking a 40-point lead, 83-43, at the under-four-minute timeout.
The Cornhuskers finished off the final 3:53 of gameplay by outscoring the Spartans 9-6, but it was not nearly enough to make a dent in the final score, as MSU won by the aforementioned final score of 89-52.
Michigan State shot 29-for-56 overall (52%) from the field on Sunday, and was 9-for-23 from 3-point range (39%). MSU also shot 22-for-23 (96%) from the free-throw line.
Nebraska shot just 33% from the floor (18-for-54) and just 18% from behind the arc (4-for-22).
Akins led the Spartans with 18 points, while Richardson chipped in 16 points. Morgan was Nebraska's leading scorer with 14 points, while Williams contributed 11 points.
The Spartans out-rebounded the Cornhuskers by a tally of 48-19.
Next up, Michigan State will take a 10-day hiatus from competition - for finals week - before jumping back into non-conference play with a game against Oakland at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Dec. 17.
Nebraska will look to rebound and will continue Big Ten play with a home game against Indiana on Dec. 13.
