2017 March Madness: Kansas defeats Michigan State to advance to Sweet 16
The Kansas Jayhawks pulled away in the second half to hold off Michigan State and advance to the Sweet 16 for second straight year.
All eyes are on returning to Kansas City and playing the Purdue Boilermakers.
It’s back to the Sweet 16 for the Kansas Jayhawks, who powered through in the second half to defeat the Michigan State Spartans 90-70 Sunday afternoon in Tulsa.
Kansas found itself in a back-and-forth battle early on with the Spartans. Both teams swapped the lead multiple times.
Kansas pulled ahead and appeared on its way to blowing out Michigan State, getting ahead 40-29 with less than two minutes until halftime.
The Spartans closed the gap and got the lead down to five points entering the break.
Guard play for Kansas played a big role in the game, especially in the second half. Both Josh Jackson and Frank Mason stepped up for the Jayhawks.
Jackson led the way for Kansas by scoring 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting. Meanwhile, Mason scored 20.
Devonte’ Graham added to the scoring effort with 18 points.
Landen Lucas was the only other Jayhawk with double-digit points. He scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Michigan State tried to hang in there, but the Jayhawks pulled away every time they tried to close the gap.
Miles Bridges scored 22 points to lead the Spartans. Nick Ward had 13 points, while Joshua Langford scored 10.
Kansas will now enter the Midwest regionals in Kansas City with a bit of a home court advantage as they get ready for Purdue Thursday night.
The Jayhawks have played solid basketball in these first two rounds of the tournament.
It will be the first game back at the Sprint Center for Kansas since they lost to TCU in the Big 12 Tournament March 9.
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The Jayhawks would like to avoid losing in Kansas City again. All they need are two more wins and they can plan their trip to Glendale.