North Dakota State is no problem for Michigan State in NCAA Tournament opener

Connor Earegood, The Detroit News on Mar 19, 2026

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BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ten years and a day to Michigan State’s infamous loss to Middle Tennessee State, the Spartans made sure there would be no upset in Buffalo.

No. 3 seed Michigan State fired on all cylinders for a smooth 92-67 win over No. 14 seed North Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday before 17,182 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

The frontcourt ruled the day for Michigan State (26-7) as center Carson Cooper scored a career-high-tying 20 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting. He hauled in 10 rebounds for a 35-23 MSU advantage on the glass. Frontcourt teammates Jaxon Kohler (12 points), Cam Ward (13) and Coen Carr (17) provided lots of support, the latter two jamming dunk after dunk to woo the crowd.

The Spartans drew a commanding 45-25 lead at halftime, an edge in talent and athleticism apparent as runs of 18-2 and 10-0 blew open the game. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. served as maestro to the orchestra and dished 11 assists, just a few short of Magic Johnson’s school NCAA Tournament record of 14. In the first half, 32 of MSU’s 45 points came from its frontcourt and 24 of those right in the paint.

For North Dakota State (27-8), Damari Wheeler-Thomas led the way with 16 points. Shooting 2 for 15 from 3 in the first half and 6 for 25 in the game denied the Bison those big-time 3s so vital to March’s madness, especially when such an apparent difference in talent and athleticism showed up turn after turn.

After scoring 14 points in the first half, Cooper wasted no time getting started in the second. Fifty-three seconds in, Cooper floated in the air for a one-handed jam. He didn’t miss a shot until 14:38, by that time having scored 18 points to help his Spartans to a 61-35 lead, a 28-point difference that proved its largest lead of the day.

North Dakota State put together an 8-0 run capped by a high-glass finish from guard Wheeler-Thomas over a leaping Ward, but even then a 61-41 lead kept Michigan State in control. The Spartans’ lead never slipped below 17 points, as 3-point shots from Kohler and Jordan Scott kept the game at hand.

The only thing that didn’t come easy for Michigan State was that assists record for Fears. A game after taking the team record for most dishes in a season, he dished his 11th helper of the game at 11:48 but didn’t find another. Magic Johnson’s record lived on.

An 8-0 run by North Dakota State made it 76-59 Michigan State with 5:25 to play, as a challenge by Bisons head coach Dave Richman got the ball back. The Bison trimmed MSU’s lead to 16 after Kohler split free throws, but a 3 from Carr brought Michigan State plenty of ballast with less than four minutes to go.

North Dakota State hung with Michigan State early, taking an 8-7 lead at the first media timeout with 15:53 to play. For a team whose 3-point shooting was its perceived threat heading into the matchup, eight straight points in the paint set an immediate tone.

Trey Fort provided a strong spark midway through the half, subbing in five minutes into the game and making an immediate impact with his athleticism. He sprung high for a rebound as soon as he touched the court, then followed with a leaping block a couple of possessions later. As Ward followed a layup with a hard dunk, Fort drew an and-one 3 that kept what would become an 18-2 run rolling for a 23-10 Michigan State lead nine minutes in.

For a North Dakota State team heralded for its 3-point shooting, Thursday’s game felt like an empty performance. The Bison missed their first four attempts from deep, only going to the perimeter three minutes in, up 6-5. That separator never fell, as the Spartans laced their shoes up for that big run.

North Dakota State found its feet with 10:45 until halftime. Trevian Carson hit North Dakota State’s first 3 of the game to draw within 10, 23-13. Teammate Tay Smith followed him up from the corner right in front of Michigan State’s bench on the next possession. But in a productive burst off the bench that included a driving baseline layup, backup point guard Denham Wojcik scored to keep the Bison at bay during their 8-2 burst.

The rest of the half played out at the rim, as Cooper and Ward made a few dunks on a 10-0 run, forward Noah Feddersen finding the stopper on a two-handed jam off the baseline for North Dakota State. With four minutes to play, Ward interrupted a passing lane to swipe the ball off Bison point guard Andy Stefonowicz, batting the ball forward and taking it to the hoop for a drop-in layup and a 37-20 lead.

That lead pushed to 45-25 by the end of the half, with Fears notching his ninth assist on a dunk by Coen Carr as the final 47 seconds ticked on the clock.