Saturday, December 6
East Lansing, Mich.
12 PM
Michigan State University
8-1,1-0Big Ten
60
vs
66
Duke
10-0,0-0ACC
1
2
F
Duke
31
35
66
Michigan St.
34
26
60
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
No. 7 Michigan State Falls Short Against No. 4 Duke, 66-60
12/6/2025 2:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 7 Michigan State had leads late in the second half but could not hang on as No. 4 Duke pulled away for a 66-60 win over the Spartans at the Breslin Center on Saturday afternoon.
Senior center Carson Cooper had his first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, senior forward Jaxon Kohler scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and while junior forward Coen Carr scored a game-high 10 points and grabbed four rebounds and redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added six points and tied a career-high with 13 assists.
Records
Michigan State falls to 8-1 overall, while Duke improves to 10-0.
Recap
Michigan State is off for a week before returning to Big Ten Conference play, traveling to play at Penn State on Saturday, Dec. 13 (BTN, noon).
Senior center Carson Cooper had his first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, senior forward Jaxon Kohler scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and while junior forward Coen Carr scored a game-high 10 points and grabbed four rebounds and redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added six points and tied a career-high with 13 assists.
Records
Michigan State falls to 8-1 overall, while Duke improves to 10-0.
Recap
- Michigan State took a 45-40 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman forward Jordan Scott with 12:53 to play in the game, forcing Duke to call a timeout.
- Duke responded with a 6-0 run and took a 46-45 lead following a 3-pointer from Cameron Boozer and a free throw from Patrick Ngongba as the teams traded the lead four times over the next three minutes.
- A jump shot from Kohler (9:39) and a layup from Carr (9:06) gave MSU a 51-48 led before Duke tied the game at 51-all.
- A dunk from Cooper (5:40) gave the Spartans a 53-51 lead and the game was tied at 55-all with 1:59 left following free throws from Fears before Boozer hit two free throws (1:35) and Isaiah Evans hit three (58 seconds) to push the lead to 60-55.
- The Spartans pulled to within three on a three-point play from Cooper, 63-60 (11 seconds) but the Blue Devils hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.
- In the first half, Duke jumped out to an early 13-7 lead on a 3-pointer from Dame Sarr (13:43) but the Spartans responded with a 13-6 run over 4:47 and took a 20-19 lead on a 3-pointer from Kohler with 7:49 to play in the half.
- The teams traded the lead back-and-forth before another trey from Kohler tied the game at 23-all and kick-started an 8-0 run over 2:06 as the Spartans took a 28-23 lead on free throws from Fears with 4:30 left.
- Fears hit a pair of free throws with one second left to give MSU a 34-31 lead at the break.
- Michigan State shot just 31.8 percent from the floor (21-of-66), including 30.3 percent (10-of-33) in the second half.
- Duke out-rebounded Michigan State, 44-43, and collected 10 offensive rebounds.
- Duke connected on 15-of-23 free throws (65.2 percent).
- The Spartans handed out 18 assists on 21 made field goals.
- MSU committed just five turnovers and only one in the second half.
- Michigan State trails the all-time series with Duke, 16-4, and the Blue Devils have won all three games played at the Breslin Center.
- Izzo's career record improved to 745-303 in his 31st year at the helm of the MSU program.
- The Spartans have an all-time record of 166-41 under Izzo in December, including a 116-17 record at the Breslin Center.
- Michigan State scored a season-low 60 points.
- Michigan State shot a season-low 31.8 percent from the floor (21-of-66).
- It was the first time shooting below 40 percent this season.
- MSU was out-rebounded for the first time this season.
- The Spartans committed a season-low five turnovers.
- MSU limited Duke to just 38.2 percent shooting from the floor, the eighth-straight opponent to shoot below 40 percent.
- The Spartans held Duke to 66 points, a season low.
- It was the ninth time this season holding an opponent below 70 points.
- Senior center Carson Cooper scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for his first career double-double.
- Cooper's 16 rebounds are a career-best and the second-most by a Michigan State player this year.
- He has scored in double figures six times this season and 10 for his career.
- This was his fourth career game with at least 10 rebounds.
- Cooper has led the team in scoring twice this year and in rebounding three times.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. scored six points points and handed out a game-high 13 assists.
- He has led the team in assists nine times this year and 31 for his career.
- Senior forward Jaxon Kohler scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
- He has scored in double figures nine times this year and 21 for his career.
- Junior forward Coen Carr scored 10 points while adding four rebounds.
- This was his sixth game scoring in double figures this year and the 20th of his career.
Michigan State is off for a week before returning to Big Ten Conference play, traveling to play at Penn State on Saturday, Dec. 13 (BTN, noon).
Team Stats
DU
MSU
FG%
.382
.318
3FG%
.310
.364
FT%
.652
.714
RB
44
43
TO
8
5
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
0
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
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