2024 NCAA Tournament: North Carolina, Michigan State advance to set up second-round clash of titans

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The stage is set for a blockbuster second-round NCAA Tournament game between No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 9 seed Michigan State in the West Regional after the Spartans opened with a 69-51 victory over No. 8 seed Mississippi State on Thursday. The Tar Heels did their part with a 90-62 win over No. 16 seed Wagner in the afternoon to set up a clash of marquee brands on Saturday.

Tyson Walker led Michigan State with 19 points as the Spartans shot 50% from the floor against a strong Bulldogs defense. Jaden Akins and Malik Hall also reached double figures for the Spartans, who are making their 26th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Michigan State held the Bulldogs to just 37% shooting and scored 29 points off turnovers in one of their strongest overall performances of recent weeks after losing five of seven games entering the Big Dance.

“It was an old-school win for us,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “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.”

It will take another similar effort from the Spartans to have a chance against North Carolina on Saturday. UNC will have a significant home-court advantage for the matchup in Charlotte, North Carolina; then again, nothing comes easy this time of year against the Spartans. 

Thursday’s win marked Michigan State’s 20th NCAA Tournament victory in a game when it was the lower-seeded team. That’s an all-time record, and 17 of those victories have come under Izzo. The tally includes a win over No. 2 seed Marquette in last year’s second round as a No. 7 seed. Knocking off UNC as a No. 9 seed would mark an even weightier accomplishment, but the Spartans aren’t your typical No. 9 seed. 

Why UNC should fear Michigan State

Beyond the program’s illustrious NCAA Tournament history under Izzo, there are other reasons to fear…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2024-ncaa-tournament-north-carolina-michigan-state-advance-to-set-up-second-round-clash-of-titans/

Author : David Cobb

Publish date : 2024-03-21 21:11:32

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