March 24 (UPI) -- Jaden Akins scored 16 points while the Michigan State bench chipped in 36 to help the Spartans cruise by New Mexico and into the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The second-seeded Spartans also outscored the No. 10 Lobos 17-3 off fast breaks and 14-7 off turnovers, in addition to their 36-7 edge in bench points, in the 71-63 triumph Sunday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Spartans (29-6) and Lobos (27-8) each led by 10 points at different points during the second-round meeting, which featured three lead changes.
"A win is a win," Akins told reporters. "I feel like good teams find a way to win. That's what we did. We started ugly, they got out on us in the beginning, but we just tried to stay solid throughout the game."
The Spartans will face the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Atlanta. The meeting will mark the 16th time coach Tom Izzo led the Spartans to the Sweet 16 over their last 27 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
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"It's not the best teams that win," Izzo said. "It's those teams that play the best and sometimes it's not who you play, it's the matchup of who you play."
The Lobos scored the first seven points of the night and built a 10-point lead midway through the first half. The Spartans defense responded by holding the Lobos to just one made shot from the floor over the final nine minutes of the half. They outscored their foes 15-7 over that span, but still trailed 31-29 at the break.
Lobos senior forward Mustapha Amzil scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half.
The Spartans scored the first six points of the second half to finally retake the lead, but the Lobos responded with an 8-2 surge. Akins and the Spartans scored the next seven points and never trailed again. Akins scored nine of the Spartans' final 20 points, including their last six, to close out the victory.
Junior guard Tre Holloman and senior forward Frankie Fidler came off the Spartans bench to chip in 14 and 10 points, respectively. Lobos senior center Nelly Junior Joseph logged 16 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
The Spartans will battle the Ole Miss Rebels with a ticket to the Elite Eight on the line at 7:09 p.m. EDT Friday at State Farm Arena. The Sweet 16 meeting will air on CBS.
The Rebels (24-11) beat the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones 91-78 in another second-round matchup earlier Sunday in Milwaukee. Senior guard Sean Pedulla scored 20 points for the Rebels. Senior guard Curtis Jones scored a game-high 26 points off the Cyclones (25-10) bench.
The Rebels or Spartans will face the No. 1 Auburn Tigers or No. 5 Michigan Wolverines in the Elite Eight. The Tigers and Wolverines advanced to the Sweet 16 through Saturday's slate of second-round games.
Earlier Sunday, the top-seeded Florida Gators edged the No. 8 UConn Huskies -- the two-time defending champions -- 77-75 in Raleigh, N.C. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored a game-high 23 points for the Gators (32-4), who will take on the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins (27-8) in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in San Francisco.
Freshman Forward Liam McNeeley scored 22 points for the Huskies (24-11).
The Terrapins advanced with a dramatic last-second win over the No. 12 Colorado State Rams (26-10) on Sunday in Seattle. Freshman center Derik Queen hit a floating jump shot at the buzzer to give the Terrapins a 72-71 triumph.
Top-seeded Duke also advanced with an 89-66 thrashing of No. 9 Baylor. Junior guard Tyrese Proctor scored a game-high 25 points for the Blue Devils (33-3). Freshman forward Cooper Flagg chipped in 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe scored 16 points for the Bears (20-15).
The Blue Devils will battle the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats in another Sweet 17 game Thursday in Newark, N.J. The Wildcats (24-12) advanced with an 87-83 win over the No. 5 Oregon Ducks (25-10) on Sunday in Seattle.
Senior guard Caleb Love scored a game-high 29 points in the victory.
The winner of the Blue Devils-Wildcats meeting will face the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide or No. 6 BYU Cougars in the Elite Eight. The Cougars and Crimson Tide will meet Thursday in the Sweet 16.
Senior guard Chris Youngblood was one of six players to reach double figures in scoring in the Crimson Tide's 80-66 win over the No. 7 Saint Mary's Gaels (29-6) on Sunday in Cleveland. Senior center Clifford Omoruyi chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.
The No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats (24-11) also advanced with an 84-75 win over the No. 6 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-13) on Sunday in Milwaukee. Senior guard Koby Brea led the Wildcats with 23 points.
The Wildcats will face the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers (29-7) in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Indianapolis. The Volunteers advanced with a 67-58 win over the No. 7 UCLA Bruins (23-11) on Saturday in Lexington, Ky.
The winner of the Wildcats-Volunteers meeting will face the No. 1 Houston Cougars (32-4) or No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (24-11) in the Elite Eight.
