2013 NCAA Tournament: Michigan State Cruises Past Valparaiso 65-54

Mar 21, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Derrick Nix (25) shoots the ball in front of Valparaiso Crusaders forward Kevin Van Wijk (55) during the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

After a cold start from both teams, the Michigan State Spartans exploded for a 24-5 first half run and never looked back as they dismantled the Valparaiso Crusaders this afternoon. The game was certainly not as close as the final score indicated; MSU led by as many as 27 in the second half before the Crusaders closed the gap in garbage time. With the victory, the third-seeded Spartans now advance to take on either Memphis or St. Mary’s in the Midwest Region.

Michigan State picked up the win thanks to their domination inside. They held an insane 49-23 edge on the glass and a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint. Big man Derrick Nix led the way for the Spartans, posting 23 points on 10-17 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds. Keith Appling added 15 points for MSU and Gary Harris chipped in with 10. Erik Buggs poured in 14 for Valpo in the losing effort.

#6 seed Memphis and #11 seed St. Mary’s will get underway in about 20 minutes, as they’ll play for the right to face this tough Spartan squad. MSU will play the winner of that one on Saturday in Auburn Hills, Michigan.