Fears scores 24, leads No. 5 Michigan State to 106-72 win over Northern Iowa after beating Duke

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 19 of his season-high 24 points in the first half, Jasiah Jervis finished with a career-high 20 points and No. 5 Michigan State made a school record 18 3-pointers in a 106-72 win over Northern Iowa on Friday night.

The Spartans (4-0) were coming off a win over No. 2 Duke and didn't let up.

They connected on 7 of 9 on 3-pointers in the opening minutes and players combined to make 10 of 15 in the first half to create a 15-point cushion. They made eight more shots beyond the arc after halftime to break a mark set by the team in 2014 and tied two years later.

The Panthers (2-2) fell behind by 37 in the second half.

Fears had nine assists — and no turnovers — following up his 18-point, 11-assist performance against the Blue Devils on Tuesday night in Chicago.

Michigan State's Jordan Scott and Coen Carr scored 11 points apiece.

Northern Iowa's Greyson Uelmen had 16 points, Tate McCubbin, Levi Valdo and Jalen Wilson each had 11 points.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo always has teams that play hard, but they don't often shoot as well as his current squad.

Izzo also hasn’t had as many freshmen who can create their own shot and score from anywhere on the floor like Jervis, a 6-foot-4 guard from New York. Jervis was 7 of 9 from the floor and 5 of 6 on 3-pointers.

Scott, Jervis, Fears, freshman Carlos Medlock and Kur Tang each made at least a 3-pointer in the first half and Jesse McCulloch was 2 of 2 beyond the arc in the second half, spreading the floor with shooters at every position.

Up next

Northern Iowa: At Oakland on Saturday.

Michigan State: At No. 11 Tennessee on Tuesday night.

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