True freshman guard Jasiah Jervis opened Thursday night’s contest with eight points in the first five minutes, setting the tone for a dominant performance as the No. 6 Michigan State men’s basketball team defeated Toledo 91-61 in East Lansing. news.jrn.msu.edu reported that the victory improves the Spartans to a 2-0 record early in the season.
Jervis finished the first half with 13 points, wrapping up the night with a team-leading 16 points. His quick start included two rebounds and a steal, earning an immediate fist pump from head coach Tom Izzo. Breaking into the starting lineup of a Top 10 program as a true freshman is a rare feat, but Jervis managed to impress the Hall-of-Fame coach not just through scoring, but by moving the ball and setting up teammates.
“Offensively, he moved the ball. He makes some passes.”
The Spartan underclassmen carried a heavy offensive load throughout the night, combining for 43 total points. Alongside Jervis, sophomore forward Jordan Scott contributed 12 points, freshman center Ethan Taylor added eight, and freshman guard Carlos Medlock Jr. chipped in seven. That youthful production, paired with 16 offensive rebounds, allowed Michigan State to build a commanding 23-point lead by halftime.
The Michigan State Spartans DOMINATE Toledo Jasiah Jervis: 16 pts, 5 reb Jeremy Fears Jr: 12 pts, 9 ast Jordan Scott: 12 pts, 9 reb Coen Carr: 10 pts, 5 reb Anton Bonke: 9 pts, 7 reb
While the offense clicked and the glass was heavily controlled—with MSU pulling down 29 total rebounds in the first stanza—efficiency at the free-throw line remained a notable hiccup. The Spartans shot just over 62% from the stripe in the first half.
“The free throw shooting, we work on at morning, noon, and night,” Izzo said. “We shoot every night before the game; we shoot 97%, every time. I don’t know what to say about that.”
Michigan State shifted its focus entirely to the paint at the start of the second half, scoring its first 14 points of the period from inside the arc and nearly eclipsing its 16 first-half interior points in short order. Senior center Anton Bonke fueled that interior onslaught, finishing the night with nine points, which included three conversions from the free-throw line.
Defensively, Izzo noted that while the team rebounded and ran the floor well, stopping Toledo left room for improvement. We did rebound pretty good. I didn’t think we defend it as good; I just think they missed shots.”
Michigan State basketball score: Freshman Jasiah Jervis dropped a team-high 16 points on Toledo as 4 MSU starters scored in double figures Thursday. 📸Photo by Nick King, Lansing State Journal 📰Story by Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press Full story: https://t.co/umc36bbOEV pic.twitter.com/OtoD79kwYk
Attention now turns to a much stiffer early-season test. The Spartans travel to Chicago for the Champions Classic, where they will face No. 2 Duke at the United Center on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. EST in a game streamed on ESPN. For players like Ethan Taylor, who responded better against Toledo after struggling in the opening part of the season, the upcoming matchup offers an immediate barometer of the team’s growth.
“He’s responding a little bit, which is all you want,” Izzo said of Taylor. “You want guys to respond. If you get them to respond, they’ll get better. And he responded better tonight.”
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#CBB No. 6 Michigan State 91–Toledo 61 Jasiah Jervis 16 pts Jeremy Fears Jr. 12 pts, 9 ast Michigan State 2-0
Michigan State beats Toledo 91-61. Jasiah Jervis led the Spartans with 16, Jeremy Fears Jr had 12.