BUFFALO, NY − Michigan State basketball started its 2026 NCAA Tournament run by taming the Bison for Mr. March.
MSU dominated North Dakota State for a 92-67 win Thursday, March 19, in the first round of the East region of March Madness at KeyBank Center.
Carson Cooper led a balanced MSU effort with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Coen Carr scored 17 and second-team All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. led the offensive attack with 11 of an NCAA tournament program-record 26 assists. Jaxon Kohler added 12 points and nine rebounds.
Cam Ward came off the bench for 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting as MSU shredded the nets from by shooting 33-for-56 overall (59%), 10-for-20 on 3s (50%) and 16-for-18 from the foul line (89%).
The win gives Tom Izzo his 60th victory as MSU coach in the NCAA tournament against 26 losses.
The Spartans took a commanding 45-25 lead into halftime by holding the Bison to 10-for-30 shooting (including 2-for-15 on 3s) while blocking four shots and forcing eight turnovers.
MSU’s next game in NCAA Tournament
The Spartans get a familiar foe in the second round with 6-seed Louisville, which survived a physical, sloppy battle with 11-seed South Florida, 83-79, in Thursday’s early game at KeyBank Center. The Cardinals hit 14 3-pointers and held the Bulls to just 5-for-33 shooting from beyond the arc, with Isaac McKneely scoring 23 points on 7-of-10 from, well-traveled guard Ryan Conwell getting 18 points and big man Sananda Fru adding 10 points and 10 rebounds.
But the Cardinals remain without star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. due to a back injury.
MSU and Louisville are 6-6 all-time against each other and 2-2 in the NCAA tournament, with the Spartans winning the last meeting in the 2015 East region final in nearby Syracuse, New York, to advance to Izzo’s seventh Final Four. MSU also defeated Louisville in the 2009 Midwest region final for another Final Four trip, while the Cardinals ended the Spartans’ seasons in 1959 (Mideast region final) and 2012 (West region semifinal). The Spartans won the most recent meeting, at home, 73-64, on Dec. 1, 2021.
This story will be updated shortly.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State starts March Madness with blowout of North Dakota State