CLEVELAND — Jaden Akins scored 16 factors, together with a 3-pointer that put Michigan State forward to remain, and coach Tom Izzo took the Spartans to the Candy 16 for the sixteenth time with a 71-63 victory over New Mexico on Sunday night time.
Izzo has 58 wins within the NCAA Match, tied for fourth in a training profession. The 70-year-old Corridor of Famer has taken the Spartans to March Insanity 27 occasions.
4 of these victories have come towards the Pitino household. Izzo has gained each of his matchups towards New Mexico coach Richard Pitino and is 2-1 towards his father, Rick. The elder Pitino, whose St. John’s squad was eradicated on Saturday by John Calipari and Arkansas, flew to Cleveland and had a front-row seat reverse the Lobos’ bench.
Tre Holloman added 14 factors for second-seeded Michigan State (29-6), which can face Mississippi in a South Area semifinal in Atlanta on Friday night time. The sixth-seeded Rebels beat Iowa State to advance to the match’s second weekend for the primary time since 2001.
“The first half of that game, that was as good of a barrage as we’ve had hit us. It wasn’t that we were down a lot, but it just seemed like we weren’t guarding, and they were making shots,” Izzo mentioned. “I thought we got our break going when we got our defense going, and we rebounded the ball pretty well.”
Nelly Junior Joseph scored 16 factors and Mustapha Amzil and Donovan Dent added 14 apiece for No. 10 seed New Mexico (27-8). The Lobos are 0-7 in second-round video games because the area expanded to 64 groups in 1985.
“They’re big, they’re strong, they’re athletic. They had some blocked shots from behind that I hadn’t seen all year. Certainly, there’s another level of athleticism that we’re not used to,” Pitino mentioned about Michigan State. “We knew they’d make us earn it. I was wishing we could get to the foul line a little bit more. We did not. Making five free throws versus a very, very physical team is hard.”
The Spartans trailed 31-29 at halftime, however opened the second half with six straight factors. A pair of free throws by Coen Carr 90 seconds into the second half gave them their first lead.
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A layup by Dent tied the sport at 51-all with 7:39 remaining. Michigan State then took management with seven straight factors. The run began with a 3-pointer by Akins because the shot clock was winding down, with New Mexico’s Tru Washington guarding him.
“I feel like it was pretty big just giving us the lead. It gave us some momentum. I haven’t been shooting good, so it just felt good to be efficient today,” mentioned Akins, who was 7 of 11 from the sector after going 4 for 15 in Friday night time’s first-round win over Bryant.
New Mexico by no means trailed within the first half and was up 29-20 after Anzil’s second 3-pointer of the primary half.
Michigan State responded with an 8-0 run, together with a dunk by Akins.
