Spartans Cruise Past Pirates in Fort Myers Opener
FORT MYERS, Fla. — I almost felt sorry for The East Carolina Pirates yesterday. From the opening tip-off, it was clear that Michigan State was locked in, ready to show that they weren’t going to play down to the competition. The Spartans didn’t just show up for their Fort Myers Tip-Off opener — they took complete control of the building. No. 11 MSU rolled to a dominant 89–56 win over East Carolina, putting together their cleanest, most complete performance of the young season. MSU moves to 6–0, and with a massive Thanksgiving matchup on deck, this one felt like the tune-up Tom Izzo wanted.
A Fast Start, A Faster Separation
This game was close for about the same time it takes to walk to the kitchen, open a bag of chips, and grab a drink. After that, it mostly became an opportunity for the MSU media team to produce an in-season highlight reel. The Pirates looked competitive for a minute and were even tied at 9-9—that’s as close as it ever got. MSU unleashed a 14–2 run — sparked by back-to-back triples from Jaxon Kohler — and never looked back. The Spartans shot an impressive 56.7% in the first half, moved the ball smoothly, and shut down ECU on defense, racing into halftime up 47–24.
The blowout turned into a full-fledged showcase early in the second half when Jeremy Fears Jr. threw a ridiculous alley-oop to Coen Carr, blowing the roof off the arena and extending the lead to 61–30. From there, it was cruise control — exactly what a top-15 team should do in a holiday tournament opener.
Balanced, Deep, Dangerous — MSU’s Identity on Full Display
If you’re an MSU fan, this is the part you love: everybody contributed.
Divine Ugochukwu led the Spartans with a career-best 16 points on an ultra-efficient 6-of-7 shooting (3-of-4 from deep). His confidence continues to rise, and he’s becoming the sparkplug Izzo can lean on.
Jaxon Kohler matched him with 16 points and secured eight rebounds, hitting four threes and looking every bit like the stretch big MSU envisioned.
Coen Carr added 13 points, four boards, three assists, and two steals — another game stuffed with highlight-reel moments and gritty, winning plays.
Carson Cooper handled business inside with 10 points and eight rebounds, controlling the paint defensively and on the glass.
And the conductor?
Jeremy Fears Jr., who didn’t need to score much (6 points) because he dished out nine assists, marking his sixth game this season with 9+ dimes. Fears is running this offense like a veteran.
Stat Capsule — The Numbers Behind the Beatdown
Final: Michigan State 89, East Carolina 56
Trending MSU Themes
- ✔ Ball movement clinic: 23 assists on 34 made shots
- ✔ Bench explosion: MSU bench outscores ECU’s bench 35–0
- ✔ Defense travels: 24 Pirate turnovers → 31 MSU points
- ✔ Perimeter fire: 13-of-28 from three (46.4%)
- ✔ Interior control: 36–12 points in the paint
- ✔ Glass gang: 13 offensive rebounds → 17 second-chance points
Top Performers
- Ugochukwu (MSU): 16 pts, 6-7 FG, 3-4 3PT
- Kohler (MSU): 16 pts, 8 reb, 4-6 3PT
- Carr (MSU): 13 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl
- Fears Jr. (MSU): 9 ast, +32 plus/minus
- Cooper (MSU): 10 pts, 8 reb
Thanksgiving Showdown: Tar Heels Await
The Spartans didn’t just win — they sent a message heading into their biggest game of November. Up next: No. 16 North Carolina, a heavyweight clash on Thanksgiving Day at 4:30 PM on FOX.
It’s MSU’s first ranked test of the season, and with both teams playing high-level basketball, it has all the ingredients of a Thanksgiving Day classic. Still, as fun as it is for fans to enjoy a marquee matchup during the late-afternoon holiday lull, part of me always feels for the players. Thanksgiving is such a family-centric day, and these are still young college kids spending it far from home. Yes, many of them are compensated now — the landscape has changed — but something about competing on this particular holiday still feels a little off.
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It seems to me that Coach Izzo has a group here who believes that they can beat anyone, anywhere. Do you think the Spartans are overachieving, or are they legit? Drop a comment below or join the conversation in the Spartans Sound Off — where fans break down every game, every angle.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
