Drought Shattered: Spartans End 12-Year Mackey Nightmare in 76-74 Thriller

There’s history in this matchup every single time these two programs meet, and Saturday night at a sold-out Mackey Arena was no different. The Spartans hadn’t won in Mackey in 12 years. The crowd was rocking. Michigan State shrugged off the past and blocked out the noise, defying the odds and winning a gritty 76-74 road game.

Despite the road woes that had haunted the Spartans all season long, maybe there was something to that player-only meeting earlier in the week. Because the Spartans did exactly what they needed to do: survive the lull, refuse to let a slow stretch bury them, and never allow the crowd to completely take over.

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The history runs deep—and so does the rivalry between Tom Izzo and Matt Painter. Saturday marked their 36th head-to-head meeting, the fourth-most between any two Division I head coaches. Painter entered holding a one-game edge, 18–17. Izzo walked out with it tied, 18–18.

It may still be the dog days of winter, but you could feel the heat before tipoff. This wasn’t just another Big Ten game.

Michigan State struck first. Carson Cooper, fresh off a career-high 20-point, 11-rebound performance, opened the scoring to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. But Purdue wasted no time punching back. A quick 9-0 run—fueled by two Michigan State turnovers and shaky defense down low—flipped the tone early and forced the Spartans to respond.

Oscar Cluff, Purdue’s fifth-year senior from Australia who had taken just eight shots combined over the last three games, came out with a completely different edge. He scored eight of Purdue’s first 13 points, attacking with purpose and helping the Boilermakers build a 13-6 lead at the first media timeout. Purdue looked more physical out of the gate, dictating tempo and contact.

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But Michigan State didn’t blink. Jeremy Fears drilled a massive three-pointer through contact, finishing the four-point play and continuing his recent heater from deep. That shot felt like a momentum shifter.

At the…

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Publish date : 2026-02-27 03:44:00

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