Michigan State stuns Duke: 4 takeaways from packed Tuesday night college basketball action

Michigan State stuns Duke

No. 5 Michigan State led from start to finish against No. 2 Duke, earning a 79-73 victory in the State Farm Champions Classic. Guard Jeremy Fears Jr. paced the Spartans with 18 points and 11 assists, his second double-double of the season.

Michigan State’s defense held Duke to 33% shooting from the field and 24% from three-point range. The Blue Devils also committed 13 turnovers. The win bolstered the Spartans’ prospects of extending coach Tom Izzo’s run of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to 29.

Illini rally falls short

Jamichael Stillwell supplied 11 points and 13 rebounds off the bench, while Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Donovan Atwell combined for 28 points. Illinois trailed by 20 at halftime but cut the deficit to four late in the game. Hofstra transfer Cruz Davis stopped the comeback with two timely floaters, sealing the result.

Standouts deliver scoring bursts

After quieter showings in his first two games, Stokes broke out with 23 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward can attack the basket and shoot from outside.

Teammate Tre White added 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting. The performances offered a glimpse of the talent available to coach Bill Self.

Smaller programs keep competing

Transfer-portal additions have helped smaller programs challenge better-known teams. Earlier in the first week, Valparaiso upset Purdue, and East Texas A&M beat Oklahoma as a 28.5-point underdog. Louisiana-Monroe pushed TCU to double overtime before falling 100-92, another close test for a higher-profile opponent.