Tom Izzo knew his team had little room for error. “I’ve got a good basketball team that has played awfully well, and yet our margin for error is very slim,” he said a day before Michigan State’s opening-round matchup. He wasn’t wrong. When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 87-62, a 25-point victory that looked comfortable on paper. But reality told a different story. The 15-seed Bryant Bulldogs left everything on the floor—sweat, tears, and even blood.
Earl Timberlake, Bryant’s heart and soul, embodied that struggle. Chasing down a tough rebound against two Spartans, he took a hard foul and hit the ground, blood streaming from his forehead.
“Earl Timberlake left game briefly with cut on head. Was able to return and score two buckets ,” House of Highlights posted on X. Timberlake, who came into the game averaging 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per contest, disappeared into the locker room for stitches. Minutes later, he was back, bandaged and relentless, finishing with 14 points.
Bryant refused to go quietly. At halftime, Michigan State clung to a 33-28 lead, unable to shake off the scrappy Bulldogs. Keyshawn Mitchell and Barry Evans chipped in seven points apiece, Rafael Pinzon added 21, and Timberlake battled through his injury to keep Bryant within striking distance. But in March, runs decide games, and Michigan State finally delivered one.
The Spartans’ depth became the difference. Jaden Akins, despite struggling from the field (4-15), chipped in 11 points. Jeremy Fears Jr. added 11 as well, while Jase Richardson dropped 15 on an efficient 5-11 shooting. But it was Coen Carr who powered Michigan State past its early struggles. The freshman forward dominated inside, bullying Bryant on the glass with nine rebounds and pouring in 18 points on 7-10 shooting.
More to follow….
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