SPOKANE, Wash. -- A career night from Kalin Lucas. A late comeback by Raymar Morgan. And a lane violation, of all things.

That's what it took to keep Michigan State moving on in yet another NCAA tournament.

Difficult seems to be the only way these Spartans know.

Lucas scored a career-high 25 points and Morgan emerged from a quiet night by hitting key shots down the stretch as fifth-seeded Michigan State, uneven as usual, escaped past No. 12 New Mexico State 70-67 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

"If there's one thing I've learned in the years I've been in this tournament, the words 'survive and advance' that everybody preaches is the truth," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said after sweating and screaming through the start of his 13th consecutive NCAA tournament and improving to 32-11 in the event.

"I don't want to say I'm glad we had a close game, but I learned something about these guys that I had been looking for this year. ... We played well early. We struggled in the second half. And we finished the game. We've survived and advanced."

The game was a microcosm of an at-times dazzling, other times dumbfounding season for the Spartans (25-8) following a loss to North Carolina in last year's national championship game.

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