Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 24 points and dished out nine assists and freshman Jasiah Jervis added 20 points Friday night to help No. 5 Michigan State to a record-setting, 106-72 victory over Northern Iowa in East Lansing, Mich.
Jordan Scott and Coen Carr each contributed 11 points for the Spartans (4-0), who hit 18 3-pointers to set a school record, eclipsing the mark of 17 made against Rutgers in 2016 and Purdue in 2014. It was the third time in its four games that Michigan State scored more than 90 points.
Northern Iowa cut Michigan State’s 15-point halftime lead to 11 twice in the opening three minutes of the second half, but the Spartans continued to rely on their perimeter shooting to keep the Panthers at bay.
Michigan State made five 3-pointers in the first seven minutes of the half, including two by Jervis, to maintain a double-digit advantage. The Spartans tightened defensively and used a 21-0 run midway through the half, holding the Panthers to 0-of-9 shooting during the run to seal the game.
The Spartans assisted on 24 of their 28 made field goals and outrebounded the Panthers 46-28.
Greyson Uelmen led the Panthers (2-2) with 16 points. Jalen Wilson, Tate McCubbin and Levi Valdo each added 11 for Northern Iowa, which came into the game averaging 92.7 points per outing.
Michigan State rode a hot shooting start to a 59-44 halftime lead in a foul-plagued first half that featured a combined 33 personal fouls.
The Panthers missed their first seven shots as the Spartans raced to a 19-2 lead behind five 3-pointers. Michigan State eventually stretched its advantage to 24 points, but Northern Iowa found its offense and chipped away at the deficit.
Despite the early struggles, the Panthers shot 50% from the field in the half but committed 10 turnovers that led to 19 Michigan State points. The Spartans connected on 10 of 16 3-point attempts, with Fears scoring 19 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting to lead the way.
–Field Level Media
