The Spartans end the season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament

Kate Holloway
·2 min read

UPDATE: Final: North Carolina 85, Michigan State 69

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — In their 26th consecutive NCAA tournament, the Spartan men will take on the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels this Saturday evening.

You can watch it happen at 5:30 p.m., right here on 6 News.

After beating the 8-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs this week, 69-51, in Charlotte, ninth-seeded Michigan State (20-14) is raising the stakes significantly in the second-round West Region match-up with the number 1-seeded Tar Heels.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 23: Jae’Lyn Withers #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels defends Malik Hall #25 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half of the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 23, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 23: Jae’Lyn Withers #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels defends Malik Hall #25 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half of the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 23, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Whoever wins tonight’s matchup will be on their way to the Sweet 16, facing either No. 4 seed Alabama or No. 12 seed Grand Canyon.

The West Regional Semifinal will take place in Los Angeles.

Michigan State advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament

The Tar Heels (28-7) are looking for their second Sweet 16 bid in three years under Hubert Davis after missing the 64-team cut last year, CBS Sports reported Saturday.

If Michigan State advances to the next round, they will reverse the course of history–The Tar Heels and the Spartans have met four times in the NCAA Tournament, with UNC winning each of those games by at least 14 points.

The Tar Heels defeated the Wagner Seahawks in the first round this Thursday, 90-62.

The Tar Heels are currently 4-point favorites in the latest odds from the SportsLine consensus.

6 News Sports Director Ian Kress is in Charlotte this week to cover the tournament. Tune in again for the recap Saturday night on 6 News at 11.

CBS Sports contributed to this report.

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