INDIANAPOLIS – The Big Ten Tournament’s No. 1 seeded Michigan State Spartans outmanned the No. 8 seeded Oregon Ducks 74-64 to advance to the semi-finals.
MSU entered the tournament with a strong record of 26-5 overall and a 17-3 mark in conference play, securing the Big Ten title outright while also winning six consecutive games.
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And Friday’s (March 14) quarterfinal proved why they are ranked No. 1 in the tournament as they outmanned the Ducks at every opportunity, extending their winning streak to seven straight.
1st half
The Spartans took an 8-0 lead, but the Ducks stormed back to tie the game at 15 inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
But the Spartans didn’t waiver. They got key contributions from guard Jaden Akins, who went 4-9 from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc to lead the team with nine first-half points.
MSU got production from Tre Holloman, Carson Cooper, and Jeremy Fears Jr., who each contributed 6 points.
Freshman Jase Richardson, a potential first-round pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, chipped in with 5 points.
The Spartan party erupted among the fans in attendance, helping the Green and White take a 42-32 lead into the half.
Up and at them. #MichiganStateSpartans vs the #OregonDucks in the quarterfinals of the #BigTenTournament pic.twitter.com/kSkb8xcmxH
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) March 14, 2025
2nd half
Oregon opened the half on an 11-2 run to trail 44-43 in 4:27 seconds.
The Ducks quieted the Spartans' filled crowd who were on fire after taking a 42-32 lead into the half.
But the Spartans weren’t going away that easy as they countered with their 9-1 run to take a 53-43 lead to rejuvenate the crowd once again.
The lead kept climbing as MSU jumped to a 59-43 lead, clamping the Ducks to five points after their initial run. They then took a 59-47 lead and never looked back.
Richardson finished the game with 17 points, while Akins dropped 12 points, Fears Jr. putting up 11 points and Coen Carr scored 10 points to seal the victory.
Prior to Friday’s victory, the two teams have matched up against one another with MSU leading the all-time series 4-2.
Their most recent encounters include a Spartans win at the 2022 PK85 tournament and another 86-74 victory at the Breslin Center on Feb. 8.
Before Friday afternoon, the Ducks did not lose a game since their Feb. 8 matchup against the Spartans.
Coming into the game, Oregon was on an eight-game winning streak, including a quarterfinal victory against the Indiana Hoosiers.
MSU will await the winner of the No. 5 ranked Wisconsin Badgers and the No. 4 ranked UCLA Bruins.