From the fast pace of play to a stressful come-back, the Spartans sweated out a win against New Mexico in the Round of 32.
Michigan State rallied in the second half to take down the Lobos, 71-63.
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Here are 4 storylines that stand out from their win that gets them to the Sweet Sixteen.
Gritty Game from the Guards
On a night where it was not Jase Richardson’s night, the rest of his position group picked him up.
When the game was getting out of hand early, Jaden Akins and Tre Holloman helped turn the tide before halftime.
Akins played one the most complete games you’ll ever see from a star guard. From dunks to deep threes, he finished the night with a team-high 16 points while making 7 of his 11 shots.
“It’s just like games we’ve been in all year,” Akins said of Sunday’s game vs. New Mexico. “Sometimes the game is close, but I feel like we’ve all got trust in each other to pull it out. We just try to stay solid.”
Holloman had 14 off of the bench. The non-starters all continued to show their value on this team, scoring 36 points.
Fidler Finds His Groove at the Greatest Time
March is always filled with heroes. Frankie Fidler was the unsung hero for the Spartans in Sunday’s win.
Fidler averaged around 4 points per game in Michigan State’s last eight games. He had double that in the second half vs. New Mexico. The senior scored eight of his 10 points in the final 20 minutes, including three straight baskets for MSU to pull away.
Fidler transferred to Michigan State for his senior year. Moments like these make that decision all worth it.
“It’s exactly what I dreamed of as a little kid,” Fidler told Local 4 of his first experience in the NCAA Tournament. “I’m finally at this level and in this position to be able to do it.”
Slow Starts Need to Get Solved Quickly
Survive and advance is the name of the game in the NCAA Tournament, but not every opponent will allow the chance to come back.
The Spartans have had trouble getting going in their first two games of the Big Dance. Against Bryant, the Bulldogs gave MSU a tight game for most of the first half. Against New Mexico, the Spartans trailed the entire first half. At one point, that deficit was as much as 10 points.
“It’s probably a good team second half win,” Carson Cooper told Local 4. “It’s nice to come out on top, but we have to clean up that first half. Ultimately, play 40 minutes as a team.”
If the Spartans want to make a run to the Elite Eight, they cannot rely on just a strong finish.
Their next opponent Ole Miss took the lead against Iowa State with 10:13 left in the first half and never looked back. The Rebels are the type of team that can make a team pay for mistakes.
Can Michigan State can find ways to win? That’s a resounding “yes” after Sunday. The question is, can they find the remedy to their slow starts?
My Super Sweet Sixteenth Sweet Sixteen
Tom Izzo is a titan in the college basketball world. He set the record for most Big Ten wins this season and won his 11th regular season conference title. Now, he’s adding more accolades to the resume.
This trip to the Sweet Sixteen will be his sixteenth as Michigan State’s head coach.
Izzo also tied for 4th with 58 wins in the NCAA Tournament. Another impressive milestone, but one he is not satisfied with.
“I just never see any kind of banners hanging for those kinds of things, and I’m not kind of a banner guy,” Izzo said on Sunday. “So until that happens, I’ll enjoy it, but I won’t do cartwheels over it.”
