Michigan State stomps NDSU, advances to second round

Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler (0) celebrates a 3-pointer against North Dakota State during the first half of NCAA Tournament First Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images As soon as the ball was tipped, it was an instant back-and-forth battle. Jeremy Fears and Jordan Scott had two early contested midrange jumpers that I didn’t like as they needed to be more patient to find a better shot.

The offense was driven by a Jaxon Kohler three and a nice pass from Coen Carr to Carson Cooper for a two-handed dunk. North Dakota State would take an 8-7 over the Spartans at the first TV timeout. Trey Fort saw early minutes off the bench along with Cam Ward and Kur Teng.

The defense ramped up and Michigan State created a 9-0 run thanks to finishes at the rim from Cooper and Ward. Fort came around an off-ball screen and drilled an and-one top of the key three while Kohler followed it up with another of his own to give MSU a 21-10 lead. Denham Wojcik even got in on the fun with a pair of layups to continue extending the MSU lead, but back-to-back NDSU threes brought it within seven for the Bisons.

After a Kur Teng corner three, Fears found Cooper in transition for an and-one alley oop to give Michigan State a 31-18 lead with six minutes left in the half. Cam Ward’s energy was apparent throughout the first half. His effort on defense was noticeable and he was rewarded in transition with finishes at the basket.