Michigan State rockets past Toledo in blowout win

Connor Earegood, The Detroit News on Nov 5, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State took off like a rocket against Toledo, then coasted its way to a methodical win.

Though frequent fouls and poor free-throw shooting left some practice fodder for Michigan State to figure out, it cruised to a comfortable 91-61 win over Toledo on Thursday at Breslin Center.

With its two-game tune-up against mid-majors now over, No. 6 Michigan State now heads to the Champions Classic to play No. 2 Duke on Tuesday at the United Center in Chicago. Duke is 2-0 with wins over Army and Coastal Carolina.

Freshman shooting guard Jasiah Jervis hit all three 3-pointers he attempted in the first half and one of his three tries in the second to finish the game with 16 points to lead Michigan State (2-0). What really mattered was his dogged effort on defense that, alongside fellow wing Jordan Scott, kept the Spartans firmly in the driver’s seat.

Meanwhile, point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. added 12 points and nine assists, while Scott had 12 points and nine rebounds as both finished just outside a double-double.

Michigan State shot 23 for 38 from the foul line, where officials had sent the Spartans for 12 shots by halftime after calling 26 fouls between the teams in the first 20 minutes. That lack of rhythm posed more problems for MSU than its opponent did.

Toledo (0-2) played without its top center, Ohio State transfer Austin Parks, who was out with an apparent injury. For a Michigan State group that already knew its guards can handle a MAC school, Parks robbed the big benefit of this game to see its new-look frontcourt, especially transfer Anton Bonke and freshman Ethan Taylor, stack up against an older, physical presence.

Even without facing Parks, Taylor and McCulloch ran into foul trouble with two in the first half. Power forward Cam Ward had three by halftime and fouled out in the second after playing just nine minutes. Officials called 26 fouls between the teams in the first half.

Bonke, Taylor and McCulloch — the latter debuting after a head injury put him out in Monday’s opener against Quinnipiac — combined for 23 points and 15 rebounds of a 52-27 advantage over Toledo. The Rockets’ best offensive threat came from Mynor Strong, whose 11 points came on 5-for-14 shooting.

Up 48-25 at halftime, Michigan State used the opportunity of a 30-point cushion to play some of its depth, including Taylor and shooting guard Kur Teng, the latter of whom received a nice inside-out pass for a 3 halfway through the second frame. Taylor’s 7-foot-2 frame and ability to score in the paint is a big part of his allure as a five-star recruit, but his ball movement looked like another asset.

If it left Breslin Center with an ugly loss, Toledo could at least say it led at one point. Toledo drew first blood for a 2-0 lead while two turnovers and split free throws by center Anton Bonke gave Michigan State’s offense a cold start. Then came a 17-0 run for the Spartans.

A fast-break 3 by Jervis got it started that takeover, meanwhile the freshman guarded Toledo’s Mynor Strong so hard on one defensive series that he drove his matchup out of bounds, where a fired-up Tom Izzo gave Jervis two low-fives and a cheek pat. Another 3 from Jervis ended the run that also saw six points from Coen Carr.

Michigan State led by its largest margin, 71-39 off a Scott 3, at 10:02 of the second half. Where the sophomore wing spent most of the game doing the little things, especially on the defensive end, he also used his knack for rebounding to spark the offense with four assists including one on a first-half, and-one dunk by Carr. As a team, the Spartans got 24 points off 14 offensive rebounds.