The No. 2 seed in the South Region Michigan State Spartans(28-6) will face No. 10 seed New Mexico Lobos(27-7) in the 2nd Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game will take place in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday night.
The Spartans advanced following a dominant second half performance against Bryant. New Mexico also advanced due to a masterful performance in the game’s final minutes against Marquette. These teams have faced off two times in program history(1970, 1985) with the Spartans winning both contests. Will Head Coach Tom Izzo be able to lead Michigan State to another Sweet Sixteen appearance?
Michigan State Pulls Away Late To Advance
Bryant gave the Spartans a battle in the first half as Michigan State took only a five-point lead into intermission. It was a much different story in the second half. Bryant was outscored 54-34. The Spartans advanced with an 87-62 victory.
The Spartans are not a strong offensive team. That was the case in their 1st round win. They shot 44.3% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. A hallmark of an Izzo team is stifling defense and the Spartans silenced Bryant’s offense. The Bulldogs shot 37.1% from the field and 20.8% from deep. MSU was led on offense by Forward Coen Carr. He scored a team-high 18 points. Even with a poor shooting performance, the Spartans scored 87 points. That is a testament to the offense’s versatility. That will bode well for them during the NCAA Tournament.
New Mexico Executes Down the Stretch To Win
The Lobos were locked in a back-and-forth game on Friday against Marquette. Marquette knocked down a three-pointer with 6:44 left in the game to take a 58-57 lead. From that point forward, New Mexico outscored their opponent 18-8. That was the difference in the game as the Lobos prevailed 75-66.
New Mexico was led on offense by Guard Donovan Dent. He scored 21 points and is playing as well as anyone in the tournament. He has scored 20+ points in seven consecutive contests. The Lobos will need their offense and defense to be at their best to upset the Spartans.
Final Thoughts
Michigan State is a 7.5-point favorite. The Spartans have been one of the best teams in the nation this season. With St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino losing Saturday it will be up to his son, New Mexico Head Coach Richard Pitino, to keep the Pitino family dancing. Unfortunately for the Pitino family, Michigan State will win. The Spartans have National Championship aspirations and will not be sent home by New Mexico.
