Newcomers flash potential as Michigan State blows out Quinnipiac in opener

Connor Earegood, The Detroit News on Nov 2, 2026

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Quinnipiac University is known more for its political polls than its basketball teams in November, but the Bobcats came to East Lansing on election eve to open Michigan State’s basketball season at Breslin Center.

This race didn’t take long to call.

Michigan State (1-0) never trailed and stormed out to a 28-point lead in the first half and shot 58% from the floor in a 96-59 win over Quinnipiac on Monday.

Jeremy Fears Jr. led Michigan State with 13 points and 11 assists while five teammates hit double digits and 12 players scored points. Coen Carr opened his senior year with 12 points, while Anton Bonke and Kaleb Glenn each scored 11 points, and so did guards Jordan Scott and Kur Teng. On the glass, 7-foot-2 center Bonke’s 13 boards led a 46-27 advantage on the glass, 14 of those being offensive rebounds. Offensively, seven different players made 3s including three from Teng alone.

Quinnipiac (0-1) shot just 36%, with 11 points from Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton and 10 from Nate Guerengomba. MSU outscored Quinnipiac 25-8 during one 7:07 stretch in the first half, all but sealing its win.

Michigan State hosts Toledo on Thursday at Breslin Center.

Michigan State jumped out to a commanding 52-24 lead in the first half with points from 10 different scorers. Nine points each from point guards Fears and Carlos Medlock Jr. led the way in that first half, and it also got off to a 4 for 7 start from 3 as a team.

Down big, Quinnipiac mustered a stronger effort to start the second half and outscored Michigan State 10-4 in the first four minutes, including three free throws from guard Lucas Sekasi on a Fears foul at 16:25. Two timeouts, one called by Izzo and the other at the under-16, got Michigan State back on track.

Medlock may have struggled at the foul line where his 0 for 4 start included three misses on a fouled 3-pointer, but Cam Ward turned his last miss into a second chance bucket off the offensive rebound, and Teng hit a 3 right after it at 13:07 that reasserted his team’s control. Michigan State never led by less than 25 the rest of the way.

In his first regular-season action since a knee injury took his entire 2025-26 season, Glenn scored 11 points, including back-to-back layups at the midpoint of the half in which he flashed the athleticism that Izzo raved about. He followed it with a 3-pointer and a block, which led to a big dunk for transfer Bonke at the other end. When Glenn left the court at 8:11, he received applause from the crowd and high-fives from coaches and teammates.

Michigan State didn’t let up. With 4:25 on the clock, up 86-49, Scott leapt along the sideline to save a ball headed out of bounds, dishing it to Carr for a one-handed jam.

Preseason All-American Fears may be among the nation’s best floor generals, but Wayne Memorial product Medlock wasted little time introducing himself in his first career game. In a strong four minute shift in the first half, the freshman scored nine points, notched a steal and registered two assists. After calling his own number often in that first stint, Medlock made an extra pass to Teng in later playing time at 5:35 that busted Quinnipiac’s zone. Teng was 2 for 3 from deep in the first half.

Bonke drew the start at center with Jesse McCulloch out of the lineup with what Izzo called a “minor, minor concussion.” McCulloch is expected to return against Toledo. Bonke turned over the opening possession on a baseline spin move and got a stern thrashing from his coach for pulling a 3 in transition at 16:40 that wasn’t even close to going in. But he returned just 37 seconds later to score in the paint. His nine rebounds led a 28-13 advantage on the glass, three of them on the offensive glass.

Fast facts from Michigan State's win over Quinnipiac

— Michigan State moves to 10-1 all-time against teams from the Metro Conference. Its only loss was 73-66 against St. Peter’s on Dec. 1, 1983.

— The Spartans are 24-8 in season openers under Izzo and 31-1 in home openers. The only time Michigan State lost its opener at Breslin Center was a 79-76 loss to James Madison on Nov. 6, 2023.

— Michigan State’s 96 points makes for its highest scoring season opener since a 98-66 win over North Florida on Nov. 10, 2017. Miles Bridges had 20.

— Quinnipiac's 59 points is the lowest MSU has allowed in an opener since Nov. 4, 2024, in an 81-57 win over Monmouth.

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