Fears' All-Around Night Powers Michigan State Past Duke
Jeremy Fears Jr. recorded 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds Tuesday night as No. 5 Michigan State defeated No. 2 Duke 79-73 at the United Center in Chicago, home of the NBA's Bulls, in the Champions Classic. The Spartans leaned on relentless defensive pressure to stifle one of the nation's top-ranked teams.
Michigan State, playing coach Tom Izzo's trademark physical, swarming style, held Duke to 33.3% shooting from the field (20 for 60) and forced 13 turnovers. Jordan Scott anchored the defensive effort with six of the team's eight blocked shots, adding two of the Spartans' seven steals. Cam Ward contributed 14 points for Michigan State, while Jesse McCulloch and Ethan Taylor delivered key baskets down the stretch. germany kreisliga a women
Fears set the tone early, piling up eight assists by halftime as Michigan State built a 34-25 lead, with Duke shooting just 25.9% (7 for 27) in the opening half. The Spartans extended their advantage to 50-36 with 13:37 remaining before Duke rallied behind John Blackwell's 17 points and Patrick Ngongba II's 11. The Blue Devils closed within 73-68 on Caleb Foster's free throws with just over two minutes left, but Scott's driving layup and two late free throws from Fears sealed the result. Duke also struggled from the free-throw line, converting just 26 of 37 attempts. The win marked Michigan State's first victory over Duke since a 75-69 result on Dec. 1, 2020, and improved the Spartans' record to 7-9 all-time in the Champions Classic, the season-opening event that rotates among Michigan State, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky.
The loss snapped an efficient start to Duke's season; the Blue Devils had opened with lopsided wins over Army and Coastal Carolina while shooting a combined 55% from the field, but found no rhythm against Michigan State's defense. Michigan State improved to 3-0, while Duke fell to 2-1. Duke hosts SIU Edwardsville on Friday, and Michigan State welcomes Northern Iowa the same night.
