CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Michigan News Source) – It took just three minutes in the first half for Michigan State University to take control of their NCAA Tournament first round game as they went onto an 18-point win over no. 8 seed Mississippi State University, 69-51. With the Spartans up, 10-8, at 14:24, a 10-0 run put MSU up by 12 points with 11:17 to go. That run put MSU in control as they led from start to finish for the first-round win, 69-51.

“I’m very proud of my team. My team, my staff. I thought we put a pretty good scouting report together,” says head coach Tom Izzo. “But the game was won with the rebounding, and both of them had some great offensive rebounds, and I really believe that’s where the game was won, along with some of the shots they made. So, it was an old-school win for us. The Cleaves and Smiths and Petersons and Draymonds and all the guys from the past would have been proud because it was a tough, rugged game, and we haven’t been bringing that all the time this year, and I thought we did a helluva job.”

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Tyson Walker shot almost 60 percent from the floor (7-of-12) hitting three three-pointers to lead the team with 19 points. Jaden Akins added 15 points and seven rebounds, also adding three three-pointers, as Malik Hall gave 10 points. MSU finished making 10 three-pointers (10-of-23) for 43.5 percent.

After MSU took the 12-point lead at 11:17, Mississippi State cut the lead to five, twice, before trailing 31-24 at the half.

MSU’s game plan took place with a hard, rugged style of play with 35 rebounds as 24 came defensively. In the first half, Mississippi State didn’t shoot any free throws and then held the Bulldogs to just two three-pointers made in the second half.

Walker commented on the team’s rich history saying, “That’s kind of our motto, being physical, doing the dirty work. It’s not like we’re reinventing anything new. We’ve just got to do it.”

The second half proved to be more physical as the Spartans scored 38 points holding Mississippi State to 27. Within the first minute and a half, the Bulldogs cut the lead to six, 35-29, but that is as close as they would come. A.J. Hoggard gave MSU a 15-point lead, 60-45, with a free throw at 8:34 and a Davis Smith three-pointer was the Spartan’s biggest lead of 18 and final score, 69-51. Neither team made a shot the final four minutes of the game as MSU gets to play another game this season.

This was Izzo’s 56th NCAA Tournament win and he said in the press conference on how he was feeling about that, “Phenomenal, exciting. I don’t know. I think those are some of the things you do when you retire. For me, I’m ecstatic — you know, I kept saying all year this team was good enough, and I was proving me wrong just because of the mistakes we made.”

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MSU will now face no. 1 seed North Carolina on Saturday in the second round.