UNC Beats Michigan State to Reach Sweet 16 as March Madness Fans Praise Bacot, Ingram

Armando Bacot pacing North Carolina in a win is nothing new. Harrison Ingram playing the role of the complementary star was a bit more of a surprise, however.

The junior forward hit five threes and finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, helping to lead the 1-seed Tar Heels to an 85-69 win over 9-seed Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA men's tournament.

Bacot did his usual work on both ends, notching 18 points, seven boards, three assists and two blocks, while RJ Davis posted 20 points. Malik Hall (17 points, nine rebounds) and Tyson Walker (24 points) had solid efforts for Michigan State in the loss.

But it was the pair of Bacot and Ingram who really helped spark a North Carolina team that trailed 26-14 at one point in the first half and finished the first 20 minutes on a 23-3 run.

Social media had nothing but love for the dynamic duo after the game:

It's never a surprise when Bacot and Hunter do their thing—they've led the Tar Heels all season long. Where North Carolina becomes a different beast, however, is when Ingram or Cormac Ryan emerge as a legitimate third option.

The Tar Heels now await the winner of 4-seeded Alabama vs. upstart 13-seed Grand Canyon in the Sweet 16. On the bottom half of the West Region, 2-seed Arizona remains alive.

But getting past Tom Izzo's Michigan State—always a perennial threat in March—was no small task. Davis led the Tar Heels in scoring, but it was Ingram's perimeter shooting that provided a necessary spark after a slow start and Bacot's two-way excellence that helped North Carolina escape the always dangerous Spartans.

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