MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 22 points to lead Minnesota to a 76-73 victory over Michigan State in a Big Ten men’s basketball game Wednesday night at Williams Arena. The Golden Gophers built a 32-21 halftime lead and held off a fierce second-half rally by the Spartans, who scored 52 points after the break. Minnesota sealed the win at the free-throw line, making 22 of 31 attempts compared to Michigan State’s 12 of 17. Jeremy Fears had 10 points and 11 assists for the Spartans. Coen Carr added 16 points and Jordan Scott scored 15. Langston Reynolds had 14 points and eight assists for Minnesota. The loss dropped Michigan State to 19-4 overall. Minnesota improved to 11-12.

MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant first half and a furious second-half rally, the Minnesota Golden Gophers survived a monumental comeback attempt by the Michigan State Spartans to secure a 76-73 victory in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at Williams Arena. A crowd of 8,994 watched as Minnesota, which led by as many as 18 points in the first half, saw its lead completely evaporate in the final minutes before making critical free throws in the closing seconds to snap a two-game skid and improve to 11-12 overall. Michigan State, which entered as a heavy favorite, saw its three-game winning streak end and fell to 19-4. The narrative of the game fractured into two distinct acts. The first was a commanding display by the home team. Minnesota, fueled by efficient shooting and capitalizing on Spartan mistakes, built a 32-21 halftime lead. The Golden Gophers shot 50% from the floor in the opening period, including 5 of 10 from three-point range, while Michigan State managed only 21 points on 9-of-28 shooting. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson of Minnesota, a 6-foot-8 forward from San Antonio, Texas, set the early tone, scoring 11 of his game-high 22 points before the break. The second act was a relentless Spartan surge. Michigan State emerged from halftime transformed, unleashing a 52-point second-half offensive explosion. The Spartans attacked the paint, generated fast-break opportunities, and began connecting from the perimeter. A key figure in the comeback was sophomore guard Jeremy Fears of Joliet, Illinois, who orchestrated the offense with 11 assists and 10 points. His backcourt mate, Jordan Scott of Reston, Virginia, heated up to finish with 15 points, while forward Coen Carr of Stockbridge, Georgia, provided a major spark off the bench with 16 points and relentless energy on the glass. Michigan State slowly chipped away at the deficit throughout the half, finally drawing even at 69-69 on a three-pointer by Scott with just under a minute to play. The Spartans then took their first lead since the game’s opening minutes, 73-72, on a driving layup by Fears with 20 seconds remaining. The most important part of the game, however, was the final 15 seconds. With the Spartans leading by one, Minnesota’s Langston Reynolds was fouled on a drive to the basket. The 6-foot-4 guard from Denver, Colorado, who finished with 14 points and eight assists, calmly sank both free throws to put Minnesota back ahead 74-73. On the ensuing possession, Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer. Reynolds secured the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. He again made the first free throw and missed the second, leaving the door slightly ajar with a 75-73 lead and six seconds left. Michigan State’s final chance to tie or win was thwarted when Isaac Asuma intercepted a pass and was fouled. The freshman guard from Cherry, Minnesota, made one of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left for the final margin, sealing a game that seemed securely in Minnesota’s grasp for 35 minutes before nearly slipping away. Statistical disparities told the story of each half. Minnesota’s first-half efficiency, where they scored 1.19 points per possession, gave them the cushion to withstand Michigan State’s 1.23 points-per-possession barrage after halftime. The Golden Gophers’ advantage at the free-throw line was decisive; they made 22 of 31 attempts compared to Michigan State’s 12 of 17. The Spartans won the rebounding battle decisively, 36-23, including a 9-2 edge on the offensive glass, and scored 30 points in the paint to Minnesota’s 24. However, Minnesota’s ability to protect the ball, committing only five turnovers, and convert Michigan State’s eight giveaways into 11 points proved vital in a tight contest. Alongside Crocker-Johnson and Reynolds, Minnesota received significant contributions from Cade Tyson of Monroe, North Carolina, who scored 17 points, and Bobby Durkin of Darien, Illinois, who added 13 points and a game-high seven rebounds. For Michigan State, the comeback fell short despite the combined efforts of Fears, Scott, and Carr. Trey Fort of Florence, Mississippi, provided a second-half lift with 12 points, all from beyond the arc. The result was a significant upset based on pregame metrics, which heavily favored the Spartans. Minnesota will look to build on the win when it hosts Maryland on Sunday. Michigan State, which had not lost since a Jan. 30 setback to Michigan, must regroup quickly before a home matchup with Illinois on Saturday.

MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — A surging but recently stung Michigan State squad looks to get back on track when it visits a struggling Minnesota team in a Big Ten men’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Williams Arena. The No. 4-ranked Spartans (19-3, 8-1 Big Ten) saw their eight-game winning streak snapped in a 83-71 home loss to rival Michigan last Friday. Despite the setback, Tom Izzo’s team remains atop the conference standings and boasts one of the nation’s most dynamic players in sophomore guard Jeremy Fears. Fears enters on a sensational run, averaging 21.4 points and 7.4 assists over his last seven games. He exploded for 31 points and seven assists in the loss to the Wolverines and dished out a remarkable 17 assists in a blowout win over Maryland on Jan. 24. Containing him will be the primary challenge for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota (10-12, 2-7) has lost seven of its last eight games, with six of those defeats coming by 10 points or fewer. The Gophers fell 77-75 at Penn State last Sunday on a last-second basket. Senior guard Langston Reynolds has been a consistent bright spot, leading the team with 18 points and seven assists in that narrow loss and averaging 13.3 points and 5.4 assists on the season. The Gophers will need a standout performance from Reynolds and more from supporting scorers like Cade Tyson and Bobby Durkin to spring the upset. Minnesota has shown resilience at home, with its last victory a 70-67 conference win over Iowa on Jan. 6. For Michigan State, the focus will be on re-establishing its defensive intensity after allowing 83 points to Michigan. Key contributors Jordan Scott and Jaxon Kohler, who combined for 22 points in the loss, will be counted on to provide secondary scoring alongside Fears. Historically, the Spartans have dominated the series, winning 12 of the last 13 meetings. Minnesota’s last win came at home in February 2023. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.