Fears stars as No. 5 Michigan State knocks off No. 2 Duke 79-73 in Champions Classic
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
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Jeremy Fears Jr. had 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds as No. 5 Michigan State shut down No. 2 Duke for a rugged 79-73 win Tuesday night.Playing coach Tom Izzo's usual swarming, physical defense, Michigan State held Duke to 33.3% (20 for 60) shooting from the field and forced 13 turnovers. Jordan Scott had six of the Spartans' eight blocked shots and two of the team's seven steals.Cam Ward added 14 points as Michigan State (3-0) earned its first win against Duke since a 75-69 victory on Dec. 1, 2020. The Spartans also improved to 7-9 in the Champions Classic, an annual doubleheader that also includes Kansas and Kentucky in various combinations and different cities early in the season.John Blackwell scored 17 points for Duke (2-1), and Patrick Ngongba II finished with 11. The shooting trouble for the Blue Devils extended to the free-throw line, where they went 26 for 37.Duke opened the regular season with a pair of runaway victories against Army and Coastal Carolina, averaging 98