The Spartans are heading back to the Sweet 16.
Michigan State used a second straight stifling defensive effort to upset No. 2 seed Marquette, 69-60, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in the Columbus, Ohio. The Spartans led throughout most of the game, but ended the game on a 14-to-5 run to end the game and advance to the program’s first Sweet 16 since 2019.
Michigan State led for nearly the entire first half, falling behind 2-0 but never trailing after that. The Spartans built a lead of as many as 12 points, but the Golden Eagles were able to rally before the break to cut the deficit to only five points. The Spartans led 33-28 at halftime.
Marquette quickly erased the deficit with an 8-0 run to start the second half and gain the lead. From there, it was a back-and-forth tilt before the Spartans were able to pull away in the final minutes.
Michigan State was led offensively by Tyson Walker — who scored 23 points. Joey Hauser (14 points) and A.J. Hoggard (13 points) also reached double-digits in points. Mady Sissoko fell just shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, but it was a pair of blocks in the final minutes that helped propel the Spartans to the victory.
As a team, Michigan State struggled offensively — hitting only two of 16 three-point attempts. It was the Spartans defensive play that led to the major victory.
Michigan State will now face No. 3 seed Kansas State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. That game will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game time for that matchup will be announced later on Sunday night.
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