Michigan State's Travis Trice (20) shoots in front of Delaware's Maurice Jeffers (15) in their second-round of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Spokane, Wash., Thursday, March 20, 2014.

SPOKANE, Wash. - Adreian Payne scored a career-high 41 points Thursday to get Michigan State off to a solid start in the NCAA tournament with a 93-78 victory over Delaware.

Payne, a 6-foot-10 senior, scored 12 straight points in the first half to help the fourth-seeded Spartans (27-8) to an 18-point lead.

He set an NCAA tournament record by making all 17 of his free throws and broke the program's tournament scoring record, set previously by Greg Kelser in 1979.

Devon Saddler had 21 points and Davon Usher added 20 for the 13th-seeded Blue Hens (25-10).

Travis Trice scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half for the Spartans, who became a trendy pick after winning the Big Ten tournament last week. President Barack Obama has them to win it all.