Miles Bridges Drops 29 as Michigan State Beats Bucknell in 2018 NCAA Tournament

The No. 3 seed Michigan State Spartans started their quest for a Final Four berth with an 82-78 win over the No. 14 seed Bucknell Bison in front of a pro-Sparty crowd in Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Friday. 

For about 25 minutes, the Bison gave the Spartans all they could handle behind a strong performance from senior forward Zach Thomas, who finished the game with 27 points on 7-of-14 shooting. 

Then Michigan State's sheer volume of talent took over. 

Sparty held the Bison to 1-of-10 shooting to open up second half to take charge of the game. Things didn't get better for the Bison, as Thomas fouled out on a technical foul with 6:06 remaining. 

Miles Bridges and Joshua Langford led the way on offense for the Spartans. Bridges finished the game with 29 points on 12-of-22 shooting, while Langford chipped in 22. 

The Bison couldn't pull off an upset, but they made it competitive in the first half. Bucknell played an up-and-down pace the entire game and fearlessly went after the Spartans. Center Nana Foulland's alley-oop slam was an embodiment of the excitement the Bison brought to the game:

Nana Foulland flies in for the alley-oop slam

Thomas' strong showing shouldn't have been a shock to anyone who followed the Bison this year. He was the team's leading scorer and didn't hesitate to shine in the spotlight, as he proved by accounting for half of Bucknell's points in the opening 20 minutes. 

Dan Murphy of ESPN noted how Thomas' performance compared to Michigan State's stars:

Thomas' controversial exit after the technical foul wound up overshadowing his performance. Viewers weren't too happy with the refs:

While the Spartans struggled to slow down the Bison at times, their offense was in peak form. They shared the rock and took advantage of their depth. Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal highlighted their selfless play:

Jaren Jackson's early foul trouble could have been an issue for Michigan State, but big man Xavier Tillman filled in nicely in the first half. He added two blocks while showing off the skill Michigan State has on its bench, and he finished the game with three swats:

The Spartans interior defense was nasty the whole game. Nick Ward chipped in one of the team's six blocks on the night:

Big rejection by Nick Ward

Bridges paced Michigan State in scoring and threw down some thunderous dunks, including this putback that showcased his athleticism:

Miles Oh My!

Meanwhile, Cassius Winston masterfully played the role of floor general, dishing out 10 assists to go with his 11 points. 

Overall, the Spartans showcased what makes them a dangerous team moving forward. Their defense clamped down when it had to, and they shot 53 percent from the floor on offense. 

The Spartans now await the winner of the TCU-Syracuse matchup to see who they will be playing for a Sweet 16 berth Sunday.