With the win, No. 2 MSU will face No. 10 seed New Mexico on Sunday, March 23, at 8:40 p.m. The Lobos beat Marquette on Friday, 75-66, with four players notching double-digit points.

For most of the first half and briefly in the second, it was anyone’s game — with Bryant appearing to have the upper hand. Spearheaded by guards Rafael Pinzon and Earl Timberlake, the Bulldogs found themselves either down by a couple of points, or in the lead, for almost the entire half.

MSU’s miscues were largely what kept Bryant in the game.

"The score was not indicative of the game," MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo said postgame. "They came out and punched us right in the mouth."

Coen Carr smooths MSU’s rocky first half 

MSU simply didn’t look good in the first half. The Spartans missed free throws, let Bryant take a few open shots and drive to the lane, and turned the ball over — they had seven turnovers in the first half. They never struck a chord, found momentum or could grasp a satisfying lead in the first half.

But through this rocky half, Carr stood out. 

Carr had 13 of MSU’s first 25 points, having gone a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and three free throws. At the half, he had 15 points and five rebounds.

"I just try to get second-chances for my team. Whether I’m getting rebounds and putting it back up myself, or I’m getting it and passing it out to my teammates. (I’m) just trying to get extra possessions for my squad," Carr said.

Carr has rarely, if at all, been MSU’s anchor. He’s had a steady season, highlighted by fierce dunks. But his first half was different than we’ve seen all season — he steadied MSU in its wildly clumsy first 20 minutes, keeping the Spartans in the game and helping the Spartans finish the half on a 12-4 run to give them a 33-28 lead at the break. His first-half performance led to him starting the second, and helped bring the Spartans more power and fuel in the final 20 minutes. He finished the game with season-highs 18 points and nine rebounds, and two assists.

"Coen ignited us on offense, especially when things weren’t going our way," Jeremy Fears Jr. said. "He got a lot of offensive rebounds, tip-dunks, fouls. He was just a big piece in getting this win today and helping us pull away."

In the first half especially, Carr’s performance overshadowed Jase Richardson’s. Richardson looked uncertain — a stark contrast to his confident play over the past month.

Richardson finished the first half with five points on 2-for-6 shooting, a missed free-throw and two rebounds. Eventually, Richardson found his rhythm, one that helped him average 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and two assists per game in the last 11 games. Against Bryant, he finished with 15 points, including three makes from beyond the arc, three rebounds and two assists.

Offensive rebounds save MSU’s offense

Friday featured MSU’s best rebounding outing this season. The Spartans notched season-highs 54 rebounds and 21 offensive rebounds, which led to 31 second-chance points. MSU’s second-half effort aided the Spartans in outscoring the Bulldogs by 20 points. Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper pounced on the glass, set up opportunities for layups and kick-out three-pointers, fueling scoring runs.

One of MSU’s biggest buckets came after Cooper and Carr picked up offensive rebounds, then kicked it out to Jase Richardson, who hit his second three of the game, to bring MSU a 49-40 lead.

Carr led with six offensive boards, followed by Kohler (five), Cooper (four), and Fidler (three). All of them also combined for 33 total rebounds. Kohler had six of his rebounds, and four offensive, in the second half, Fidler had all six of his in the second half, and Carr had three offensive rebounds, and four total, in the second half. The final 20 minutes was pure MSU basketball, and it was a great indication of how influential its rebounding can be. 

The Spartans allowed 29 rebounds, including nine offensive rebounds. Of that, the Bulldogs scored six second-chance points, while MSU finished with an insurmountable 31 second-chance points. MSU dished out 16 assists on 31 made field goals.

Offensive rebounds outlined resets for MSU offense. It helped the Spartans settle down, find better shots, and eventually find the back of the net in essential times.

Spartans execute free-throw shooting after rough start

MSU’s free-throw shooting pattern since its win over Wisconsin won’t cut it for the rest of the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans finished its 87-62 win over Bryant going 15-for-21 from the line. It marked MSU’s fifth time in six games missing at least five free throws — its worst performance was the Spartans’ 6-for-13 free-throw shooting against Wisconsin.

Throughout the game, the Spartans had multiple opportunities to extend their small leads and push Bryant out the door, or to come back from short deficits and tie it up or take a one-point lead.

But they couldn’t.

It felt like MSU’s poor free-throw shooting gave the Spartans more anxiety — a sigh of tension cast over Jaden Akins and Jeremy Fears Jr. after missing important free throws, because every free throw, shot and rebound in the tournament is crucial. The Spartans started out with a weak 6-for-11 from the line, but eventually stabilized themselves and made 12 of its next 13 free-throws.

"We didn’t do the things we needed to in the first half," Fears Jr. said. "We missed the open shots, free throws, and they were just playing tougher than us."

Entering the game, MSU was shooting 78% from the line this season, but finished just 71% against the Bulldogs.

Though MSU won by 25, shooting 71% from the line likely won’t be enough in future rounds, including Sunday’s matchup with New Mexico. The Lobos shot 18-for-21 from the line in its close win over Marquette on Friday, while Marquette shot 7-for-12. MSU will need to improve at the line Sunday — or risk an early trip home.

"(At halftime) I went through what I think are the key points in teams advancing in this tournament," Izzo said. "One of them is turnovers, one of them is giving up fast-break points, and one of them is making your free throws."

MSU and New Mexico will tip off at 8:40 p.m. on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The game will air on TNT.