Michigan State's 71-63 victory over New Mexico on Sunday night felt unorthodox in some ways, but the fashion in which they finished the game remains consistent from what we’ve seen this year.
A suffocating defense and timely shot making created the separation the Spartans needed to move on to another Sweet Sixteen appearance, and, in the end, that’s all that matters.
For a player like Coen Carr - who had a career game just two nights prior vs. Bryant - making the little plays to help his team win went a long way.
“Lot of ‘in the right place at the right time’ plays,” Carr said in the locker room after the game. “I was just trying to be there and play hard for my team.”
Carr finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds versus the Lobos, but it was some of the effort plays that stuck out for the sophomore forward this time around. When the game was tied at 31, Carr volleyball spiked a shot from New Mexico’s Donavon Dent that led to a fastbreak where he ended up drawing a foul and sank two key free throws. Later in the second half, Carr miraculously saved a loose ball from going out of bounds and threw it off a Lobos player to keep the possession alive for MSU.
“We definitely had to grind this one out,” Carr said when asked about how they responded after being down by 10 points early in the game. “We had to bear down and really play defense. I feel like that really started everything for us.”
With 7:57 left in the first half, the Spartans were down 24-14 and any resemblance of momentum was hard to come by. New Mexico was making tough shots, while MSU had trouble getting into any consistent rhythm offensively. A concerted effort to clamp down on defense slowly allowed MSU to creep back into the game by halftime.
“We felt like we were getting punked in the first part of the game, so we made the decision to get stops, and I think that helped us get offense going,” Carr said.
The game remained close in the second half for the most part until the Spartans eventually wore their opponent down. MSU maintained strong defense throughout the half, minimizing fouls and limiting the Lobos' free throw opportunities.
“We felt like we kind of fouled a lot the last game, so we just had to be solid,” Carr said. The Spartans shot 28 free throws in the game compared to New Mexico’s 10 free throws. “We were just off ... so we had to bear down and focus on the little things.”
On Friday night against Bryant, Carr had a career night and sparked MSU after an uninspiring beginning to the game. He finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds, both career highs. Despite lacking impressive stats or highlight-reel dunks, Carr made a significant impact against the Lobos. His ability to adapt his role based on the game's flow exemplifies the unselfishness that the entire team has embraced this year.
The Spartans now head to Atlanta - about 30 minutes from where Carr grew up in Stockbridge, GA - for a bout with Ole Miss and a chance to move onto the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.
When asked after the game if he was excited to return home, his answer was short and sweet: “Most definitely.”
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