Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State Spartans
· NCAA Men's Basketball
No. 7 Michigan St beats Iowa 71-52 to open defense of Big Ten title
The Spartans (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will play No. 4 Duke at home on Saturday.
Michigan State is off to its best start in a decade and has three wins against AP Top 25 teams: North Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas.
The Hawkeyes (7-1, 0-1) were undefeated under first-year coach Ben McCollum until they ran into one of the hottest teams in college basketball.
Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, who entered averaging nearly 19 points per game, was held to four points in the first half and finished with 14 on 4 of 10 shooting. None of his teammates scored more than seven points and the Hawkeyes combined to shoot 38% from the field.
Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler had his second straight double-double and his fourth this season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Spartans scored 13 straight points midway through the first half, starting with Fears making two free throws and ending with his jumper that put them ahead 25-10.
Michigan State led 35-21 at halftime, holding the Hawkeyes to 33% shooting.
Iowa had more turnovers (nine) than shots made (seven) early in the second half, hurting its chances to compete against the defending Big Ten champions.
The Spartans made half their shots and were 22 of 25 on free throws, giving them an 11-point edge at the line.
How can I watch Iowa vs. Michigan State?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 52 - 71 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 52 - 71 |
| 2nd 0:10 | Kael Combs made Layup. Assisted by Cooper Koch. | 52 - 71 |
| 2nd 0:15 | Cooper Koch Defensive Rebound. | 50 - 71 |
| 2nd 0:17 | Denham Wojcik missed Free Throw. | 50 - 71 |
Statistics
 IOWA |
 MSU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 17-45 | FG | 23-46 |
| 38 | Field Goal % | 50 |
| 7-23 | 3PT | 3-12 |
| 30 | Three Point % | 25 |
| 11-17 | FT | 22-25 |
| 65 | Free Throw % | 88 |
| 18 | Rebounds | 37 |
| 6 | Offensive Rebounds | 13 |
| 12 | Defensive Rebounds | 24 |
| 11 | Assists | 13 |
| 7 | Steals | 4 |
| 1 | Blocks | 3 |
| 11 | Turnovers | 14 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 11 | Total Turnovers | 14 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 18 | Points Off Turnovers | 15 |
| 12 | Fast Break Points | 6 |
| 18 | Points in Paint | 34 |
| 22 | Fouls | 19 |
| 5 | Largest Lead | 24 |
Game Information
Location: East Lansing, MI
Attendance: 14,797 | Capacity:
2025-26 Big Ten Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 1-0 | - | 8-0 |
| Purdue | 1-0 | - | 8-0 |
| USC | 1-0 | - | 8-0 |
| UCLA | 1-0 | - | 6-2 |
| Wisconsin | 1-0 | - | 6-2 |
| Minnesota | 1-0 | - | 5-4 |
| Nebraska | 0-0 | 0.5 | 8-0 |
| Michigan | 0-0 | 0.5 | 7-0 |
| Penn State | 0-0 | 0.5 | 8-1 |
| Ohio State | 0-0 | 0.5 | 6-1 |
| Illinois | 0-0 | 0.5 | 6-2 |
| Maryland | 0-0 | 0.5 | 6-3 |
| Indiana | 0-1 | 1 | 7-1 |
| Iowa | 0-1 | 1 | 7-1 |
| Northwestern | 0-1 | 1 | 5-3 |
| Washington | 0-1 | 1 | 5-3 |
| Rutgers | 0-1 | 1 | 5-4 |
| Oregon | 0-1 | 1 | 4-4 |