Michigan State Survives! OT Win Masks HUGE Problems?

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Whew! Sometimes, you just have to survive. Jeremy Fears Jr. wasn't about to let a shocking upset happen on his watch. He exploded for a career-high 29 points, a whopping 27 of which came in the second half and overtime, as No. 7 Michigan State squeaked by Rutgers 88-79 on Tuesday night. This one was a nail-biter, folks.

Michigan State Survives! OT Win Masks HUGE Problem...

Fears wasn't just scoring, either. He played like a true point guard, dishing out nine assists, including a clutch pass to Divine Ugochukwu. Ugochukwu, cool as you like, then nailed the game-tying three-pointer from the corner with a mere 11 seconds left on the clock. Honestly, I thought the Spartans were cooked before that shot. Rutgers played with incredible energy.

The Spartans (19-2, 9-1 Big Ten) hadn’t led since the early stages of the first half, but Jaxon Kohler finally put them back on top by sinking two free throws to start overtime. After that, Michigan State finally looked like the ranked team they are, pushing ahead to a 78-73 advantage and holding on for their seventh straight victory. You could feel the collective sigh of relief in the Breslin Center.

Rutgers (9-12, 2-8) got a herculean effort from Tariq Francis, who poured in 23 points. But heartbreak struck when Francis’s floater at the buzzer bounced off the rim. That would have given the Scarlet Knights the win and snapped their four-game losing streak. You had to feel for him; he played his heart out.

Fears' dominance at the free-throw line was undeniable; he was a cool 16-for-17 from the stripe, adding to his 6-for-12 shooting from the field. Coen Carr chipped in with 13 points for Michigan State, while Carson Cooper was a beast on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds to go along with his 12 points. These supporting performances were critical, especially when the Spartans found themselves in foul trouble at different points in the game.

Harun Zrno led Rutgers with 16 points, followed by Jamichael Davis with 15 and Darren Buchanan Jr. with 14. The Scarlet Knights really struggled to find the basket down the stretch, going without a field goal for the final 4:40 of regulation. To their credit, they made 8 of 9 free throws during that span, with Davis knocking down five of them. Free throws kept them alive.

Rutgers took advantage of 10 Michigan State turnovers, converting them into 17 points and taking a 37-28 lead into the locker room at halftime. It was Michigan State's lowest-scoring first half of the season, and only the third time they've trailed at the break. Coach Izzo clearly had some choice words for his team at halftime. It was a tale of two halves, that's for sure. And in the end, it was Jeremy Fears Jr.'s night to remember.