Spartans survive late Rutgers rally, escape 91–87 on Senior Night

Michigan State’s Senior Night celebration nearly turned into a collapse Thursday at the Breslin Center. Instead, the Spartans survived a furious late rally from Rutgers to escape with a tense 91–87 victory, securing a triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament while sending seniors Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper off with a win in their final home game.

For most of the night, MSU (26–5, 16–4 Big Ten) appeared firmly in control. The Spartans shot an efficient 58% from the field, dominated the glass 38–21, and built a double-digit lead midway through the second half. But the Scarlet Knights (12–19, 5–15) refused to go quietly, closing the game on a stunning late surge that forced the Spartans to reinsert their starters and sweat out the final seconds.

Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr led MSU with 21 points each, while Kohler added 15 points and seven rebounds in his Breslin finale. Cooper contributed 14 points and six rebounds, battling through physical play all night.

The Scarlet Knights were paced by Tariq Francis’ 25 points and five assists, while Lino Mark added 14 points and Emmanuel Ogbole finished with 13 points and six rebounds despite foul trouble that limited him to just 20 minutes.

The victory also carried significance for Fears, who passed Magic Johnson on MSU’s all-time assist list during the second half. The sophomore guard finished with eight assists on the night and now trails just Mateen Cleaves and Cassius Winston for most of all time - something he should surpass this season.

Neither team could generate consistent offense early, combining to shoot just 5-for-20 from the field through the first several minutes. MSU also committed four turnovers in the opening eight minutes, allowing RU to maintain a narrow edge.

A putback and free throw from Cam Ward energized the Spartans, and moments later Fears found Ward again with a lob to give MSU a 13–12 lead early. That play sparked a brief MSU surge.

Fears then knocked down a three-pointer to cap a 7–0 Spartan run, and Denham Wojcik followed with a perfectly placed alley-oop to Cooper on a pick-and-roll for another highlight moment.

Still, RU hung around. Francis continued to create offense, and a flurry of late baskets kept the Scarlet Knights within striking distance.

The final minute of the half belonged to Carr. After Buchanan hit a difficult floater to give RU a three-point lead, Carr spun through the lane for a layup and then drew a foul with seconds remaining. The sophomore calmly sank both free throws, sending MSU into halftime with a slim 31–30 lead.

MSU wasted no time seizing momentum in the second half.

Fears opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper, and Cooper followed by drawing a foul and knocking down two free throws. Moments later, Kohler buried a 3-pointer to cap a quick 7–0 run that forced a Knights' timeout and pushed the Spartans ahead 38–30.

RU briefly steadied itself with a layup from Mark, but MSU’s athleticism soon took over.

In a sequence that electrified the Breslin Center, Fears orchestrated three consecutive highlight plays that sent the crowd into a frenzy. First, he lobbed a perfect alley-oop to Carr for a dunk that tied Johnson on the program’s all-time assist list. On the next possession, he connected with Carr again for another alley-oop to officially pass the Hall of Fame point guard.

Moments later, Fears found Jordan Scott driving baseline for yet another dunk.

Four straight dunks ignited the arena and pushed MSU’s lead to 45–36.

From there, the Spartans continued to pile on. Carr attacked the rim for another basket, and Fears began asserting himself offensively, scoring on drives and free throws to stretch the lead to double digits.

MSU’s offense caught fire during this stretch, converting eight consecutive field goals while dismantling RU's full-court pressure with crisp passing and transition opportunities.

By the midway point of the second half, the Spartans appeared to have full control. A trey from Carr extended the lead to 74–55 with just over six minutes remaining, setting the stage for what looked like a comfortable Senior Night finish.

But RU had other plans.

The Scarlet Knights slowly chipped away as the Spartans' offense cooled. A 6–0 RU run forced a furious timeout from head coach , who could sense the momentum shifting.

After Kohler briefly halted the drought with a reverse layup and Fears added a mid-range jumper, MSU still led comfortably at 79–63 with just over three minutes remaining.

With the game seemingly in hand, Izzo substituted in his seniors to prepare for the traditional Breslin sendoff.

Instead, chaos followed.

RU rattled off seven quick points, including a four-point play and a 3-pointer off a turnover, trimming the lead to single digits and forcing MSU to bring its starters back onto the floor.

Powers then drilled another shot from beyond the arc, and moments later he stole the ball for an uncontested layup that cut the deficit to just four points.

The once celebratory crowd in East Lansing grew tense as RU continued to pour it on.

After Carr calmly sank two free throws, Mark responded with a tough layup through contact. Cooper split a pair of free throws before Buchanan knocked down a deep 3-pointer to pull RU within two points in the final seconds.

With the Breslin Center suddenly holding its breath, Fears stepped to the free throw line after a lengthy review and calmly sank two clutch free throws to seal the win.

RU’s remarkable finish - the Scarlet Knights made their final nine field goals of the game - delayed what had been planned as a celebratory Senior Night exit for Kohler and Cooper.

Instead of the traditional walk-off moment, the Spartans had to grind through the final possessions before the clock finally expired. The victory extended the Spartans’ winning streak to five games and officially clinched a coveted triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament - a significant advantage heading into postseason play.

It also preserved MSU’s perfect home record against Rutgers, improving the Spartans to 10–0 all-time at the Breslin Center against the Scarlet Knights.

Now, Michigan State turns its attention to one final regular-season challenge: a rivalry showdown against Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sunday.