INDIANAPOLIS >> It only took warmups for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo to get a feeling about Friday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against Oregon. Against an eight seed Ducks team riding an eight-game win streak, he expected his first-seed Spartans to have their hands full. He even went back to the locker room and told assistant coach Doug Wojcik, “we’re in trouble.”

“They don’t miss a shot,” Izzo said. “They’re big, they’re strong.”

Now, they’re eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament. Because as much as Izzo’s warning came to fruition at times Friday afternoon at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Michigan State stayed in front of Oregon in a decisive 74-64 win to open up its Big Ten Tournament run. Paced by four players scoring in double digits and strong work on defense and the glass, the Spartans opened one-and-done play with a win.

Michigan State will play Wisconsin in the Big Ten semifinal 1 p.m. Saturday (CBS). Friday’s win over Oregon is its 12th Quad 1 win of the season, boosting its case for a 1-seed on Selection Sunday.

Izzo’s warning about Oregon made sense. One only had to look back to the last time these teams played to see why. In the win Feb. 8 when Izzo tied Indiana great Bob Knight’s career Big Ten wins record, Michigan State (27-5) trailed by 14 at halftime before mounting a major comeback. Oregon (24-9) hadn’t lost since.

This time, Michigan State got off to a better start. It scored the first eight points to take control before a 9-2 Oregon run brought the game right back. The first half proved a war of attrition, with each team grinding out offense in the halfcourt and battling for defensive stops. The shot clock bled down on many possessions.

Jeremy Fears Jr. — who watched the last meeting with Oregon from his couch because he was sick — played a big role with his playmaking, but also his defense on Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad. The same could be said for center Carson Cooper off the bench, who heard a friendly crowd shout “Coop” when he drew a first-half charge on the baseline. Michigan State guards Jaden Akins, Tre Holloman and Jase Richardson all found ways to score from midrange, finding space in Oregon’s coverage.

“We knew they were going to be really aggressive, pressing us and denying us,” Akins said. “So we got a couple back doors to happen, which led to Coen (Carr)’s dunk at the end. … I feel like they were playing drop coverage, so we just tried to do our best to do damage in the midrange.”

It took until the final three minutes for Michigan State to pull away. After a corner 3 from Carr, his team outscored Oregon 18-7 in the final six minutes of the half to take a 42-32 lead.

Michigan State wasn’t so crisp to start the second half. An overshot 3 from Fears turned over the first possession with a shot-clock violation. A travel from Fears turned over the next. Szymon Zapala fouled away the third possession before Kohler turned over the fifth. As Oregon’s TJ Bamba scored on the break as part of 15 points off turnovers, Michigan State’s lead fell to just four points.

Just as the game got out of control, Michigan State seized control. Frankie Fidler drew first blood of a 15-0 run off the bench, adding a 3 later in the sequence. Richardson nailed a 3 to take a 57-43 lead at 10:47 before scoring a midrange off one leg right after.

Richardson led Michigan State with 17 points on 4-for-13 shooting. It’s the most he’s ever shot the ball in the game, a milestone for a player whose first start came 10 games ago against Oregon. Such an upgrade in role came with hiccups, however, as he shot well below his season average.

“He’s just very efficient, very intelligent,” Izzo said. “And I think he knows he’s gotta do some things when we get stagnant and talks to me about moving the ball more. I talked to him tonight when he said, ‘I’m not shooting well.’ I said, ‘Let me worry about that. You just keep doing your job.”

Richardson left the game with 51 seconds to play after Bamba’s knee collided with his head and neck, knocking him to the ground. He split his free throws before subbing out, but said after the game he’ll play in Saturday’s semifinal.

As much as Richardson, Coen Carr factored in heavily during this run — not only for his putback dunk early in it, but especially his strong rebounding and defensive play. Carr tied a career-high with eight rebounds, including five during the run.

“Coen grew up today,” Izzo said. “I mean, in a lot of ways. It wasn’t just hitting a 3. Some of those rebounds he got. Some of the defensive stops, guarding guards. … He proved what I believe about Coen Carr: that as that shot keeps coming, he’s gonna be a special player.”

As much as any dunk or defensive stop, Carr’s rebounds secured possessions that kept Oregon from mounting a comeback.

“That’s one thing that they want me to do is go in there and rebound like an animal,” Carr said. “So when I go in and do that, I get extra opportunities for my team.”

The offense cooled after the run, but Michigan State’s defensive play didn’t wane. After going nearly six minutes without a bucket during the Spartans’ run, Oregon went 3:32 without a field goal right after. Bittle broke the slump with a jumper, part of a 22-point performance that led the game. And though Shelstad found his groove in the final five minutes, Oregon never drew within eight points down the stretch.