Michigan State overwhelms UCLA in rebounding for a big win at Breslin

Michigan State didn’t just bounce back from a tough road loss at Wisconsin last Friday — it reasserted its identity over UCLA Tuesday night.

Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Badgers and carrying the weight of five straight games allowing at least 75 points, the Spartans returned to the Breslin Center with something to prove. What followed was a dominant start-to-finish performance that left little doubt about which team belonged in the Big Ten’s upper tier. MSU rolled past UCLA, 82–59, to get back into the win column.

MSU improved to 21-5 overall and 11-4 in league action. UCLA falls to 17-9 overall and 9-6 in conference play.

Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with 16 points and 10 assists, nearly matching UCLA’s entire assist total by himself while knocking down a career-high four 3-pointers. Coen Carr matched him with 16 points, while Carson Cooper added 12 points and seven rebounds. Jaxon Kohler chipped in nine points and 10 boards, anchoring a frontcourt that controlled the glass all night as MSU out-rebounded UCLA 37–27.

MSU also delivered its best shooting performance of the season, hitting a season-high 14 3-pointers - the most since February 2023 - on 14-of-27 shooting from deep.

For UCLA, Tyler Bilodeau’s 22 points were the lone bright spot on an otherwise long night in East Lansing.

Both teams entered the night reeling after lopsided road losses - UCLA at Michigan and the aforementioned Spartans at Badgers - and separated by just one win in the conference standings. But once the ball went up, only one team looked desperate. From the opening possessions through the final media timeout, the Spartans steamrolled the Bruins on both ends of the floor, playing with urgency and freedom.

UCLA struck first, knocking down difficult shots to open a 4–0 lead and briefly testing whether MSU’s defensive issues would carry over. Jordan Scott quickly answered with a trey - MSU’s first basket of the night - and from there the Spartans never looked back.

Kohler set the tone early with his passing and touch, finding Carr for a baseline dunk to give MSU its first lead. After UCLA briefly reclaimed momentum with back-to-back 3-pointers from Donovan Dent and Eric Dailey Jr., Kohler responded immediately. The MSU big first delivered with a post fadeaway and then with a confident trey to put the Spartans ahead 12–9 at the first media timeout.

The opening minutes were played at a high offensive tempo on both sides, but that balance didn’t last long.

Fears began to seize control of the game, burying a three late in the shot clock to spark an 8–0 run. Skyy Clark halted it momentarily with a deep trey of his own, but Kohler answered right back again. He hot a midrange jumper to start the game 3-for-3.

Out of the timeout, Fears drilled another trey, pushing the lead to 21–12 for the Spartans. On the next possession, he found Carr streaking down the floor for a layup, forcing a UCLA timeout as MSU extended its run to 15–3. UCLA couldn’t buy a basket, missing eight of nine shots as the Spartans’ energy overwhelmed the Bruins.

As if a 15-3 run wasn't enough, the floodgates continued to spill out a torrential flood on the MSU offensive end midway through the first half.

Fears hit a smooth midrange jumper followed by a 3-pointer by Trey Fort after a chaotic sequence that included a near alley-oop attempt from Carr. Suddenly, MSU was on a 20–3 run, and UCLA looked shell-shocked.

Scott poured gasoline on the fire, knocking down back-to-back triples as the Bruins went scoreless for over seven minutes. The scoreboard told the story: 33–12 Spartans, and the Breslin Center was rocking.

Dent finally broke the drought for UCLA with a backdoor layup, but Cooper answered immediately with a driving layup and a free throw to make it 36–14. Bilodeau added a bucket inside, yet the Spartans closed the half in emphatic fashion. Fears hit his third trey of the half with under two minutes to play, and although Clark hit a late 3-pointer for the Bruins, the Spartans headed into the locker room with a commanding 43–23 lead.

It was a dominant half in every sense. MSU out-rebounded UCLA 21–9, controlled the paint, and forced UCLA into rushed shots and poor spacing. The Spartans had reclaimed their defensive edge - and then some.

Any hopes of a UCLA rally as the Bruins exited the locker room were extinguished almost immediately after halftime.

Bilodeau opened the second half with a corner jumper and a free throw, but Fears answered with his fourth 3-pointer of the night - a career high - setting the tone for what became a masterclass in game management. Scott followed with a putback to reach double figures for the fifth straight game, and Carr knocked down a midrange jumper to stretch the lead to 50–29.

Bilodeau tried to keep UCLA afloat with a triple out of the under-16 timeout, but Kur Teng answered right back, draining a 3-pointer to give MSU its 10th of the game. Moments later, Teng hit another from deep before Fears punctuated the sequence by stealing the ball and throwing a perfectly timed alley-oop to Carr that brought the crowd to its feet.

Michigan State now led 60–38, and the game was effectively over.

Carr continued to shine, dishing to Ward for a two-handed dunk before both teams briefly settled into a rhythm trading baskets. Even then, the Spartans never loosened their grip. When the offense stalled, Kohler snapped the drought with a turnaround hook, followed immediately by yet another Teng trey to push the lead to 69–41.

Out of the next media break, Carr hit another triple - assisted by Fears, who secured his 10th helper of the night on the basket.

Late in the game, emotions flared. After Clark scored and appeared to tweak his leg, the Breslin Center student section began chanting “We want Booker,” referencing Xavier Booker’s return to East Lansing in a Bruins' uniform after spending his first two seasons with the Spartans.

The intensity peaked when Steven Jamerson II committed a hard foul on Cooper during a wide-open dunk attempt, sending the Spartan big man awkwardly to the floor. Cooper immediately confronted Jamerson, nearly igniting a skirmish. UCLA head coach Mick Cronin himself ejected Jamerson follwoing the altercation, and the foul was upgraded to a flagrant by the officials. Cooper made one free throw, and Fears followed by hitting two more to push the lead to 80–52.

From there, Izzo emptied the bench, and the Spartans coasted to an 82–59 win that felt even more lopsided than the final score suggested. It also marked the 500th win by MSU at the Breslin Center.

After weeks of defensive slippage and mounting questions, the Spartans delivered a resounding answer. At home, with urgency and edge, Michigan State looked once again like a team capable of making real noise in March - and Monday night served as a reminder that when the Spartans lock in defensively and shoot well - they can play with anyone.

MSU returns to the court next on Sunday, Feb. 22 when it hosts Ohio State. Tip is set for 1 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS.