No. 7 Michigan State suffered its first loss of the Big Ten season to Southern California, 70-64, in a road game at the Galen Center. The Spartans were outrebounded and shut down in transition, never leading against the Trojans.
Coaches Tom Izzo said his team was “punched in the mouth” by USC, which built an early lead that kept growing throughout the game. Despite finding its poise through free-throws, Michigan State struggled to assert itself, with guard Desmond Claude scoring 19 points for USC. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. led the Spartans with a dozen points, but it wasn’t enough.
The loss marks Michigan State’s first since Thanksgiving and puts coach Tom Izzo one win away from tying Bobby Knight’s Big Ten record at 353. The team had never started a season 10-0 in Big Ten play, which would have been achieved if they won the game against USC.
Izzo attributed his team’s struggles to USC’s strong performance on the glass and its ability to control the tempo of the game. “We did not get out and run,” he said. The Spartans’ usual strength – getting to the free-throw line – was also a weakness in this game, with an 11-for-19 performance.
Michigan State will continue its west coast trip against UCLA on Tuesday at 10 p.m.
Source: https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state-university/2025/02/01/southern-cal-trojans-end-michigan-state-spartans-winning-streak-70-64/78134688007