Spartan Defense Led to Second-Round Win, Limited Lobos' Scorers

The Michigan State Spartans used their defensive prowess to push themselves past the New Mexico Lobos in Sunday's second-round NCAA Tournament matchup. They staved off the top two scorers for the Lobos, directly impacting their win.

Michigan State forward Coen Carr (55) and New Mexico guard Donovan Dent (2) battle for the ball during the second half of the Second Round of NCAA tournament at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, March 23, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Spartans did one heck of a job, keeping Lobos senior guard Donovan Dent under his scoring average at just 14 points and six assists, forcing four turnovers from him. They also did a solid job of getting senior center Nelly Junior Joseph in foul trouble early in the second half.

Joseph finished with 16 points, giving the Lobos top two scorers a combined total of 30, nearly half the team's points, in New Mexico's first-round win over Marquette, the pair combined for 40. The Spartans were not going to completely silence the two, but they did just enough to hold the Lobos off.

Following the win, Spartan head coach Tom Izzo gave praise to his guards and the sensational defense that they played against Dent. The Mountain West's leading scorer at 20.6 points per game was held six points under that total, directly impacting the Spartans' win.

"I thought Jeremy [Fears Jr.], Jaden [Akins], and Tre [Holloman] all did a good job on [Donovan] Dent and Dent is a hell of a player," Izzo said. "But I thought we got our break going when we got our defense going and we rebounded the ball pretty well.

" ... That's a talented, well-coached team, and I'm just happy we got the win, I'm happy we showed a little character after we got down and weren't playing very well."

Joseph and Dent got going early, putting the Spartans in a 7-0 hole, later taking a 10-point lead in the first half. A few Spartan players spoke on what the adjustments were and how they were able to limit two elite scorers, failing to allow them to have monster games and pull off the upset.

"Yeah that was one of our keys, defend without fouling," Tre Holloman said postgame. "So we were just trying to keep them out the lane and then just get out and run."

"We felt like we was getting punked in the first part of the game," Coen Carr said, "So we just made a decision to get stops, and I think that helped us get our offense going."

The Spartans have won several games this season due to their defensive pressure and the offensive production that it translates to. They will need to do the same on Friday when they face the red hot No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (24-11) in the Sweet 16. More of the same will be required.

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