Richardson scores 29, No. 9 Michigan State rallies to beat Oregon 86-74 to tie Izzo with Knight

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jase Richardson scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the second half, lifting No. 9 Michigan State to a comeback 86-74 win over Oregon on Saturday that gave coach Tom Izzo 353 Big Ten wins to tie Bob Knight’s record.

The Spartans (19-5, 10-2) trailed by 14 points at halftime and took over the game early in the second half with Richardson leading the way at both ends of the court.

The Ducks (16-8, 5-8) lost five straight games for the first time since the 2013-2014 season.

Richardson’s father, former Michigan State star and NBA player Jason Richardson, attended the game as part of a reunion of the 2000 national champions.

Michigan State’s Jaxon Kholer had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Tre Holloman scored 13 and Jaden Akins added 10 points.

Michigan State guard Jase Richardson shoots and draws a foul from Oregon guard TJ Bamba during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, helping his team lead 50-36 at halftime, but didn’t get much help. Kwame Evans was the only other Ducks player in double figures, scoring 10 points.

Takeaways

Oregon: The Ducks showed their potential in the first half, looking like the team that won its first nine games and started 13-1 with wins against Alabama and Texas A&M, before playing like a slumping squad.

Michigan State: Richardson made the most of his first opportunity to start, filling in for Jeremy Fears, who was out with an illness. He approached the Michigan State freshman record set by Miles Bridges in 2017 (33 points).

Key moment