The Bulldogs faced just a 33-28 deficit into halftime but were soon teetering on the brink of elimination. Richardson’s first jumper with 14:12 left was followed by another, and Michigan State opened a 52-42 cushion. It was 65-49 by the time Jaden Akins rushed down the left side for a layup, and Bryant called a timeout with 7:46 to play.

Once again, Michigan State basketball was able to pull away from a team in a big way when they took down a scrappy Bryant team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. After heading into halftime with just a five point lead over the Bulldogs,

No. 2 Michigan State plays No. 15 Bryant in first round of March Madness. Follow for live NCAA tournament updates from Cleveland's Rocket Arena.