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CLEVELAND — Michigan State basketball was not at its best early against New Mexico, but roared back in the second half to win, 71-63, and keep its March Madness dream alive with a trip to the Sweet 16.
The Spartans looked tight in the first half, trailing from start to finish. They were down by as many as 10, but were able to keep the deficit to just two at the break, 31-29.
Then after a Tom Izzo talking-to in the locker room, the Spartans came out flying and took their first lead of the game less than two minutes into the second half.
RELATED: Couch: MSU's basketball team might have the goods to win it all. The question is whether the Spartans believe it.
However, it still wasn't smooth sailing from there. New Mexico was more than ready to respond, and the two teams battled back and forth for the second half.
MSU started slowly pulling away with some key shots when the game got tight and the Spartans' defense was stellar, forcing New Mexico to make tough shots to stay in the game.
Freshman star Jase Richardson had his worst game of the season, scoring his first points of the game on three free throws with just 1:32 to go in the game, but made two massive plays late.
Senior Jaden Akins made up for the poor Richardson game, hitting an impressive 7 of 11 shots for 16 points.
With the win, MSU is now back in the Sweet 16 after a one-year absence with last season ending in the Round of 32 vs. North Carolina. With two more wins, MSU can get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2019.
The Spartans will play 6-seed Ole Miss on Friday in Atlanta for the South region semifinal. Michigan is set to play Auburn in the other South region Sweet 16 game. Times have not been set for either game. The winners play on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball outlasts New Mexico to make Sweet 16
Continue reading...
The Spartans looked tight in the first half, trailing from start to finish. They were down by as many as 10, but were able to keep the deficit to just two at the break, 31-29.
Then after a Tom Izzo talking-to in the locker room, the Spartans came out flying and took their first lead of the game less than two minutes into the second half.
RELATED: Couch: MSU's basketball team might have the goods to win it all. The question is whether the Spartans believe it.
However, it still wasn't smooth sailing from there. New Mexico was more than ready to respond, and the two teams battled back and forth for the second half.
MSU started slowly pulling away with some key shots when the game got tight and the Spartans' defense was stellar, forcing New Mexico to make tough shots to stay in the game.
Freshman star Jase Richardson had his worst game of the season, scoring his first points of the game on three free throws with just 1:32 to go in the game, but made two massive plays late.
Senior Jaden Akins made up for the poor Richardson game, hitting an impressive 7 of 11 shots for 16 points.
With the win, MSU is now back in the Sweet 16 after a one-year absence with last season ending in the Round of 32 vs. North Carolina. With two more wins, MSU can get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2019.
The Spartans will play 6-seed Ole Miss on Friday in Atlanta for the South region semifinal. Michigan is set to play Auburn in the other South region Sweet 16 game. Times have not been set for either game. The winners play on Sunday.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball outlasts New Mexico to make Sweet 16
Continue reading...
