Game 1

Michigan State blitzed East Carolina from the opening tip, building a 23-point halftime cushion and cruising to an 89–56 victory at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in front a sold-out crowd of 3,500 fans in game one of the 2025 Skechers Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division. The Spartans shot 50.7% from the field, led wire to wire and held advantages of 36–12 in the paint, 31–9 off turnovers and 23–7 in fast-break points.

Jaxon Kohler paced Michigan State with 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night—including 4-of-4 from three—along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Divine Ugochukwu added 16 points (6-of-7 FG, 3-of-4 3FG), while Coen Carr (13) and Carson Cooper (10 points, eight boards) rounded out a balanced attack. Jeremy Fears Jr. hit two threes and dished a game-high nine assists as MSU’s bench produced 35 points. The Spartans led by as many as 43 with 9:24 to play and finished 13-of-28 (46.4%) from beyond the arc.

Michigan State set the tone in a 47–24 first half, turning ECU over 14 times before the break and converting those mistakes into transition chances. The Spartans never trailed, owning the lead for 38:23 in a game that featured one tie and no lead changes. 

East Carolina’s Jordan Riley scored 13 points, Corey Caulker added 11 and Reid Cason and Giovanni Emejuru had nine apiece, with Emejuru grabbing eight rebounds. The Pirates shot 33.3% overall with 24 turnovers but went 18-of-26 at the line.

Game 2

North Carolina turned a tight first half into a convincing finish, outscoring St. Bonaventure by 13 after the break to win 85–70 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. The Tar Heels shot 50.9% from the field, controlled the glass and led for more than 35 minutes to victory in front of a capacity crowd of 3,500.

UNC’s frontcourt set the tone. Henri Veesaar delivered a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double on 9-of-14 shooting, while Caleb Wilson added 20 points and 12 rebounds, going a perfect 10-for-10 at the line. Kyan Evans hit three threes and finished with 11 points, and Luka Bogavac chipped in 10 points and four assists as the Tar Heels went 8-of-18 from deep and 21-of-27 overall at the stripe. North Carolina won the rebounding battle 40–31 and posted a game-best 20-point lead with 6:07 remaining.

The Bonnies hung around early and trailed just 35–33 at halftime behind Darryl Simmons II’s perimeter shooting. Simmons scored a team-high 22 points (4-of-6 3FG), while Frank Mitchell added 18 points and six rebounds. St. Bonaventure shot 41.4% and 41.2% from three but attempted only eight free throws to Carolina’s 27. Points in the paint were even at 36–36; second-chance points (13–11) and points off turnovers (14–10) tilted to UNC.