Spartans feast on Tar Heels in Thanksgiving Showdown
Some Thanksgiving meals just hit different. While most of America was debating the merits of canned versus fresh cranberry sauce, the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans were serving up a heaping plate of domination to the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels, securing a decisive 74-58 victory in sunny Fort Myers, Florida.
This wasn’t just another win; it was a statement. This is already the Spartans’ third victory over a top-25 team this season. To put that in perspective for you, last year they didn’t notch their third ranked win until February. Yeah, these guys are playing a different brand of basketball. It’s also the first time the program has kicked off a season 7-0 since the glory days of 2015-16. Is it too early to feel that March magic tingling? Maybe. But it’s a whole lot of fun right now.
Leading the charge was the man of the hour, Jeremy Fears Jr., who looked like he had cheat codes enabled. The kid dropped a career-high 19 points, snatched five rebounds and dished out seven assists. His jumper was smoother than a gravy-covered mashed potato, looking the best it has all season. Not to be outdone, Jaxon Kohler was a monster on the glass, posting a classic double-double with 10 points and 11 hard-earned rebounds.
Now, the Spartans head back to the chilly embrace of East Lansing to open their Big Ten schedule against Iowa. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Dec. 2, because if this is the appetizer, the main course is going to be epic.
How the First Half Unfolded
Michigan State shot out of the gate like they were late for Thanksgiving dinner. Trey Fort drained a three on the very first possession, the defense locked down, and before UNC could even blink, Coen Carr was throwing down a transition slam that made the rim cry for its mommy. A quick 5-0 lead set the tone.
However, North Carolina didn’t just roll over. This is big-boy basketball, after all. The Tar Heels clawed back, tightening the game to 9-8 by the first media timeout. For a while, it felt like a classic heavyweight bout, with both teams trading defensive blows. The scoring slowed to a crawl, and the slippery court in Fort Myers caused more turnovers than a clumsy bakery.
Then, the Tar Heels found a rhythm, stringing together an 8-0 run that put them up by seven. It was a gut-check moment. Tom Izzo, looking as fiery as ever, called a timeout as his Spartans had gone colder than a forgotten turkey leg, hitting just one of their last 11 shots. You could almost hear the paint peeling from his locker room speech from the stands.
Whatever he said worked. Michigan State responded not with a run, but with an avalanche. A massive 13-0 burst immediately followed, turning a seven-point deficit into a six-point lead. The highlight? Carson Cooper decided he wanted to be on a poster, catching and dunking a lob with one hand while drawing the foul. It was pure, unadulterated basketball poetry. The Spartans rode that momentum into the locker room with a 33-28 lead, built on a balanced attack where eight different players got on the scoreboard.
The Second Half Slugfest
The second half started with a bang as Cooper converted another and-one play. But North Carolina, being a top-50 team in tempo, decided to turn the game into a track meet. The pace was frantic, which played right into the Tar Heels’ hands. Michigan State, who prefers a more methodical pace (ranking in the 200s for tempo), had to dig deep.
They weathered the storm. Every time UNC scored or threatened to make it a one-possession game, the Spartans had an answer. It was a tense back-and-forth, with Michigan State clinging to a five-point lead at the midway point of the half. You could feel the tension ratcheting up with every possession.
Finally, with about seven minutes left, the Spartans decided they’d had enough of this nail-biter nonsense. They ripped off a 9-0 run, stretching the lead to a dozen and forcing a UNC timeout. It was the first double-digit lead for either team, and it broke the Tar Heels’ spirit.
North Carolina desperately fed their star, Caleb Wilson, but it was too little, too late. MSU kept them at arm’s length, cruising to another impressive victory over a ranked foe and proving this team has the grit to match its talent.
