DENVER -- Michigan State's stifling defense ended Pitt's NCAA dreams last night. No. 5 seed Michigan State defeated No. 4 seed Pitt, 65-54, in an NCAA second-round game at the Pepsi Center.

The Panthers (27-10) were denied a fifth trip to the Sweet 16 in the past seven seasons. Pitt could not muster much offense against the defensive-minded Spartans, who forced the Panthers into a 32.7-percent shooting performance.

Michigan State (27-8) got just enough offense, mostly from senior guard Drew Neitzel, who led the Spartans with 21 points, including five 3-pointers.

Neitzel came up big with two late 3-pointers that helped Michigan State pull away. He made one with 6:26 remaining to give the Spartans a four-point lead after Pitt had scrambled to cut the lead to one. He made another with 5:04 left that provided a 53-48 lead.

Pitt never seriously threatened after that.

"They played good defense," Pitt junior forward Sam Young said. "I credit their coach. They had a good scheme."

Michigan State moves on to play the winner of a game today between Memphis and Mississippi State in the Sweet 16 Friday night in Houston. Spartans coach Tom Izzo, a master at getting his team ready to play on one day of rest, won for the seventh time in his past eight second-round games.

The story of the game was defense. Pitt's offense was predicated all season long by the performances of Young and freshman center DeJuan Blair, but they were bothered by the size of the Michigan State front line and did not come through with big games.

Young scored 15 points, but he had an off shooting night, going 4 for 12 from the field. Blair scored 10 points, but he was 4 for 11 from the floor and missed at least six layups, many in the first half when the Panthers failed to take advantage of some sloppy Michigan State play and the fact that two starters, including leading scorer Raymar Morgan, were on the bench in foul trouble.

"Yeah, we should have taken advantage, but we didn't, so it's a loss," Blair said.

Blair and Young had trouble dealing with the height of the Spartans inside players. Michigan State won the rebounding battle, 37-26. Blair, who is usually adept at getting offensive rebounds, only managed three last night. Young had just one rebound the entire game.

That left it up to Pitt's guards, and other than Levance Fields, the Panthers' outside shooters could not come through.

The Panthers were 2 for 17 from 3-point range. Senior guard Ronald Ramon was 0 for 4 from behind the arc and Young was 1 for 5.

"We just came up short in a couple of areas," senior guard Keith Benjamin said. "We needed to make a few more shots and grab a few more rebounds. If we did that it would have been a different story."

Michigan State led by two at halftime and extended that lead to 40-30 five minutes into the second half.

It looked like the Panthers were going to fall apart, but after a timeout, Pitt went on a 14-2 run and took a 44-42 lead on Young's driving layup with 9:41 remaining.

That lead, however, only lasted 39 seconds.

Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas scored on a three-point play to put the Spartans back on top. A few minutes later, Goran Suton scored in the lane for a 47-44 lead with 7:29 remaining.

The Spartans never trailed again.

"We made a great comeback," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "We put ourselves in position. We had a couple of good looks. We just didn't knock them down. I can't say enough about how we battle back. Things were going bad ... and we put ourselves in a good position.

"You know, nothing seemed to go right [after that]. Some things went the wrong way. I think the difference, really, came down to them makings some 3s, and we didn't."

Michigan State had the lead for most of the first half and took a 30-28 lead into the intermission, despite the foul trouble.

Both teams got off to slow starts. Pitt missed its first six shots. The Panthers managed to stay in the game by getting to the free-throw line.

Young and Gilbert Brown went 6 for 6 from the line in the early going to keep Pitt close. When Ramon made a steal and set up Young for a tomahawk dunk with 13:42 remaining in the half, it was Pitt's first field goal and lead of the game.

Morgan and center Drew Naymick had to sit on the bench for most of the half with two fouls apiece. But Pitt failed to take advantage. Neitzel saw to that as he made three 3-pointers in the half.

With Naymick out of the game, Pitt went inside to Blair, but Blair missed layup after layup, and the Spartans maintained their lead.

"I just didn't get it done," Blair said.

Pitt was 9 for 29 (33.3 percent) from the field in the first half; Michigan State 12 for 25 (47.8 percent), including 4 for 5 from 3-point range.

Young and Blair were a combined 4 for 15 from the field in the first 20 minutes. Benjamin and Ramon did not score in the first half. Fields was 5 for 7 and had 11 points in the half.