No. 8 Michigan State clinches Big Ten regular-season title

Field Level Media|published: 03/06/2025, 10:37pm EST

Mar 6, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Drew Thelwell (3) controls the ball as Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Jase Richardson scored a game-high 22 points Thursday night to lead five players in double figures as No. 8 Michigan State clinched the Big Ten Conference regular-season title with a 91-84 win over Iowa in Iowa City.

Jaden Akins and Jaxon Kohler each added 15 as the Spartans (25-5, 16-3) took a two-game lead on Michigan with the rival Wolverines coming to East Lansing on Sunday for each team's last regular-season game before the conference tournament next week.

Jeremy Fears kicked in 14 points and Tre Holloman netted 11 for Michigan State, which hit 61.3 percent of its field goals in the second half and committed only eight turnovers in the game.

Four players scored in double figures for the Hawkeyes (15-15, 6-13), which will need to win its regular-season finale Sunday at Nebraska and get some help to make the Big Ten tournament. Josh Dix scored 18 points while Seydou Traore added 15, nine above his average. Payton Sandfort tallied 15 points and Pryce Sandfort contributed 12 off the bench.

Iowa led for 24 minutes, 34 seconds and was still well within striking distance when Traore hit Payton Sandfort on a back cut to draw it within 67-64 at the 6:47 mark. But Akins splashed a 3-pointer on the next possession to kick off a game-sealing 14-0 run.

The Spartans were picked fifth in the preseason Big Ten poll and didn't make the preseason Top 25. Coach Tom Izzo cracked a small smile when time expired but the team didn't celebrate until it got to its locker room.

It looked like there would be nothing to celebrate for most of the first 30 minutes as the Hawkeyes shot well and kept Michigan State from getting untracked. Iowa scored 14 straight points for a 27-13 advantage at the 9:06 mark of the first half, Traore converting a layup to cap the stretch.

Akins' layup with 35 seconds remaining in the half allowed the Spartans to draw within 37-30 at the break but the lead ballooned to 10 with 12:13 left in the game before Michigan State took charge.

--Field Level Media