Fears, who led the nation in assists with more than 10 per game, added seven assists. Carson Cooper had 14 points, Cam Ward had 11 and Jackson Kohler had 10 points with 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
Caleb Wilson led North Carolina (6-1) with 18 points, Henry Vissar added 13 and Luka Bogavac had 11, but the Tar Heels shot only 38% (21 of 55).
Michigan State (7-0) went 5 of 10 on 3-pointers while North Carolina went 4 of 23. The Spartans also had a 20-5 differential in bench points.
Wilson gave the Tar Heels an early 22–15 lead.
However, the Spartans tightened their defense and held North Carolina scoreless for more than 4 1/2 minutes during a 13-0 run to go ahead 28-22. Cooper’s left-handed slam on Fears’ alley-oop pass highlighted the run.
Michigan State led 33–28 at halftime.
The Spartans increased their lead as the game gained momentum in the second half.
Kohler’s 3-pointer put Michigan State ahead 53–44. North Carolina drew within 55–52 but the Spartans responded with a 9–0 run. After making a 3-pointer, Fiers fed Ward for a layup. A few minutes later, Fears hit a high arcing bank shot in the paint with the shot clock at zero to put the Spartans on top 66–54 with 4:26 remaining.
While North Carolina holds a 13–6 lead in the series, Michigan State has won three of the last four between the teams.
Michigan State opens Big Ten play at home against Iowa on Tuesday.
North Carolina also travels to Kentucky on Tuesday.
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