EAST LANSING – Michigan State sent off its seniors with a nail-biting 91-87 victory over Rutgers.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo subbed in his seniors with two minutes left and a 13-point lead. The Scarlet Knights didn’t give in, going on a 21-8 run to close the game, making it very difficult for the Spartans to walk away with the win. Izzo even needed to sub back in the starters to secure the game.
“Blame the first half on the players, blame the second half on me,” Izzo said.
A meaningful night for Jaxon Kohler had even more weight when his great-grandfather, a 102-year-old U.S. veteran, was honored before the National Anthem.
“I think there was a little nerves…I said to my staff, I hope Jax doesn’t put the first shot into the tuba section and wound a guy,” Izzo said.
MSU center Carson Cooper was also celebrated for completing his four-year term as a Spartan. The Jackson, Mich native entered as an unknown big man and has progressed into an above-average starting center, who’s scored in double figures 16 times this season.
Izzo will remember the senior front court as a loyal group that developed right in front of his eyes.
“Those seniors have given us a lot and they come from nowhere; there’s only a few players that stay four years anymore, how criminal is that?” Izzo said.
It was a slow offensive first half for the Spartans, hampered by 10 turnovers, which was more than they committed in their last two games.
The Spartans were rejuvenated in the second half, playing at a much faster pace, which allowed Spartans forward Coen Carr to get out and transition for three straight rim-rattling dunks.
Izzo believed this was one of Carr’s best performances in the Green and White, and 21 points is his most points scored against a Big Ten opponent in his career.
Carr returned to the court in crunch time with Rutgers making a push and solidified the win with two clutch free throws to close the night 8-for-8 from the line.
“Those last two minutes were crazy, we just got to be better at handing things, handling the press, just being more patient and figuring stuff out,” Carr said.
Jeremy Fears Jr. received a technical for pointing at the Jumbotron for a review, something Izzo has never seen before. This technical added to Fears’ foul count, giving him four with eight minutes remaining in the second half, but Izzo kept his faith in Fears, leaving him on the court.
“It just speaks to how much he trusts me, the coaching staff, and the teammates just being able to be out there and still try to help the team with four fouls,” Fears said.
MSU closes the season 15-2 at home, with their only losses coming to the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the nation.
The Spartans close the regular season down the road in Ann Arbor against No. 3 Michigan on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Catch the regular season finale on Impact 89FM, with Jack Stager and Joe Dez on the call live from the Crisler Center.
