Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler each posted 17 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 15 points as No. 17 Michigan State held on for a 79-60 win against San Jose State on Thursday in East Lansing, Mich.
Kohler totaled a career-high 18 rebounds and Fears went 3-for-5 from 3-point range for Michigan State (3-0), which led by 23 points at the half. Kur Teng added 10 points for the hosts.
The Big Ten side was coming off an electric 69-66 win against then-No. 14 Arkansas over the weekend, and there were concerns that Thursday’s game would be a letdown following that win. Thursday’s game marked Michigan State’s sixth straight home victory dating back to last season.
Colby Garland posted 22 points, and Yaphet Moundi had 13 points and 11 rebounds for San Jose State (0-3), which has started its 2025-26 season on the road.
Both teams shot below 30% from 3-point range. Michigan State eclipsed San Jose State with 45 total rebounds compared to 26.
Moundi got San Jose State on the board with a layup at 18:16 to make the score 4-2, but the visitors were then held without a basket as Michigan State went on a 12-0 run early in the first half. The visiting Spartans missed back-to-back free throws at 15:32, along with missing their first 10 3-point attempts.
Garland went 2-for-2 from 3-point range in the first half to keep San Jose State competitive, but Michigan State tallied 26 rebounds and 16 points off the bench as the hosts took a 46-23 lead into the half.
The Mountain West side opened the second half with an 8-0 run to cut Michigan State’s lead to 15 points. Michigan State later answered with an 8-0 run that included 3-point shots from Fears and Kohler.
Moundi made seven free throws to forge a 7-0 San Jose State run that cut Michigan State’s lead to 12 with 6:59 left in the second half. A 3-point shot by Sadraque NgaNga brought the deficit to 65-55 with 5:40 to go.
Kohler went 2-for-2 from the free throw line and Fears made a pair of 3-point shots as the hosts went up 77-60 with 1:30 left.
