Carson Cooper matched his career-high with 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Michigan State routed North Dakota State 92-67 on Thursday to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time in 28 consecutive appearances under coach Tom Izzo.
Coen Carr added 17 points for the third-seeded Spartans. Cam Ward scored 13 points and Kaxon Kohler had 12 points and nine rebounds. Leading scorer Jeremy Fears Jr. managed only seven points, but had 11 assists, exceeding his season average of 9.2 that ranks first in the country.
Michigan State (26-7) advances to play Louisville (24-10) in the second round Saturday after the No. 6 seed in the Midwest held on to beat South Florida 83-79. It will be the fifth NCAA Tournament matchup between the schools and first since 2015, when the Spartans beat the Cardinal in overtime to reach the Final Four.
Damari Wheeler-Thomas scored 16 points to lead 14th-seeded North Dakota State (27-8). The Summit League champions qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in 18 seasons and first since the 2020 tournament that was canceled.
The Spartans shot 59% against the undersized Bison, scoring 44 points in the paint, with eight dunks. Michigan State shot 10 for 20 from 3-point range, while North Dakota State finished 6 for 25 from long distance.
North Dakota State opened an early 8-5 lead before going more than six minutes without a field goal. Michigan State took command with an 18-2 run. The Spartans extended their lead with a 10-point run and led 45-25 at halftime.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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