Michigan State Basketball: Spartans Plugged a Sinkhole against UCLA

All season long, Michigan State basketball has been longing for a sharpshooter to elevate the team to another level. MSU fans have seen it before. Gary Harris, Bryn Forbes and Travis Trice are just a few of the names Michigan State fans have seen dominate from deep.

Last year, Jase Richardson led the green and white, shooting 41.2 percent from three-point range. This year, the Spartans shoot around 34.6 percent each game. Divine Ugochukwu (out for the season with a foot injury), and Jesse McCulloch, (averages eight minutes per game) are the only two Spartans who currently are shooting over 40 percent from downtown, on much lower numbers than what is needed to be categorized as a sharpshooter.

Against the Bruins on Tuesday night, they donned shoes gifted from Jase Richardson and told a different story. The Spartans scored eight three-pointers in the first half alone, with Jeremy Fears and Jordan Scott putting up three a piece.

MSU entered the second half up 43-23, and at one point, were shooting an astounding 52% from deep.  And by the time the final buzzer sounded, Michigan State held a 82-59 lead to secure the Spartans 21st win on the season.

Coen Carr and Fears both led the green and white with 16 points each, as Fears recorded his ninth double-double on the year with an additional 10 assists. Overall, Michigan State shot 51.9 percent from three-point range, which is a massive step up from their usual 34.6 percent from the same area.

Fears himself had four triples tonight, which is actually a career-high for the redshirt sophomore. Scott and Kur Teng’s three triples also added onto the momentum swing, and propelled Michigan State passed the Bruins after a tough loss to Wisconsin.

Shocking Moment Diminishes Phenomenal Night From MSU

All of the rainfall from MSU allowed new storylines to emerge. With 4:26 left in regulation, a moment happened that shocked the college basketball world as a whole.

UCLA redshirt senior Steven Jamerson, a former Michigan State student in 2021-22, fouled Carson Cooper on a drive to the basket. UCLA head coach Mick Cronin did not like Jamerson’s play, and personally threw his own player out of the game. Jamerson was escorted to the locker room by a member of the UCLA personnel.

While the replay shows the foul not looking as egregious in real time, there was still some dispute on the need for such a play. Jamerson had already fouled out by both the tech and an upgrade to a flagrant-one, with took him from three fouls to the disqualifying total of five. However, a flagrant-one does not eject a player, but not to the locker room like a flagrant-two would.

Cronin was did not speak with the local media in the MSU media center after the game.

All in all, this was a resounding victory for the Spartans and one they desperately needed. The green and white turn their attention to Ohio State on Sunday, which tips off at 1:00 p.m. EST.