Spartans Advance to Second Round for First Time Since 2019

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans handled business in their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. 10 Harvard Crimson by double digits. The Spartans will face the No. 2 NC State Wolfpack in the Round of 32.

Mar 22, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Grace VanSlooten (14) shoots against Harvard Crimson forward Abigail Wright (40) during the first half at James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (22-9) took care of business in their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. 10 Harvard Crimson (24-5) by a score of 64-50 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Spartans will move onto the Round of 32 for the first time since 2019.

It was a wire-to-wire win for the Spartans as they outscored the Crimson in all four quarters. Harvard was a team that prided themselves on defense, giving up an average of 52.5 points per game. The Spartans blew past that total, scoring 64 points, including a 21-point third quarter.

Michigan State was able to stave off one of the most talented players in the country in Harvard senior guard Harmoni Turner. She posted a game-high 25 points, scoring exactly half of her team's points. The Spartans were more than fine with Turner getting her buckets if nobody else contributed.

As a team, Harvard shot a dreadful 27.7% (18-65) from the field and 15.4% (4-26) from 3-point range. It turned the ball over 20 times, which contributed to 22 Spartan points. Michigan State could not have performed better defensively, limiting an entire team besides Turner's impressive showing.

The Crimson had just four different scorers as two of their five starters went scoreless, and another had just 2 points. It was a defensively dominant performance from Michigan State, holding a very strong offensive team, tying Harvard's lowest point total of the season.

Spartan junior forward Grace VanSlooten led the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds for the sixth double-double of her career and first in an NCAA Tournament game. She was one of three Spartans to score in double figures.

Senior guard Jocelyn Tate added 13 points, three assists and a team-high four steals, while junior guard Theryn Hallock poured in 10 points and grabbed four rebounds. It was an all-around team effort, as all seven scorers netted at least four points.

Michigan State will have a much tougher task in its second-round battle after denying the upset against Harvard. It will square off with the No. 2 seed in Region 1, the NC State Wolfpack (27-6), on Monday. Tip-off time is still to be determined.

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