Newswire

Michigan State: Spartans Thrill Partisan Detroit Crowd

(2) Michigan State 82, (1) Connecticut 73

Coach Tom Izzo devised a perfect strategy to take down another favored Big East opponent, leading Michigan State to an 82-73 win against Connecticut. The Spartans will play in the championship game for the first time since 2000, when they beat Florida for the championship.

Izzo’s team did not allow the bigger Huskies to dictate the pace of the game or win the battle of the post. Michigan State collected only one fewer rebound than the Huskies grabbed, and the Spartans forced 16 turnovers. In addition, Izzo substituted players frequently, and the bench delivered 33 points. Sophomore point guard Kalin Lucas led Michigan State with 21 points and five assists. Freshman guard Korie Lucious came off the bench to help Michigan State stay close in the first half, finishing with 11 points. In the second half, sophomore guard Durrell Summers played exceptionally well and finished with 10 points.

The Spartans opened the game on a 9-2 run, to the delight of thousands of Michigan State fans who packed Detroit’s Ford Field. Connecticut, which had jumped out to early leads in each game this tournament, rallied with a 19-7 run that gave the Huskies a five-point lead. Lucas hit a three-pointer that cut a five-point lead to two. Michigan State appeared to have the momentum heading into halftime before senior guard A.J. Price hit a jumper and junior center Hasheem Thabeet made a three-point play to tie the game.

Michigan State took control of the game in the second half with a 17-5 run fueled by Summers and Draymond Green, who had 10 of the 17 points during that run. Connecticut tried to rally late with five free throws in less than 40 seconds. But the Spartans answered with stout defense and consistent free throw shooting in the final minute to hold off the Huskies. 

Michigan State beat Louisville in the Elite Eight, the first of two No. 1 seeds from the Big East that the Spartans have taken down this tournament. The Spartans played North Carolina at Ford Field earlier in the season. Without Goran Suton and with most of its players struggling to shoot, Michigan State lost by nearly 30.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.