The Spartans Rise Up to Beat Louisville in OT
29 Mar, 2015
Coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans capped an improbable run to the Final Four with an overtime win.
Senior guard Travis Trice scored 17 points and the seventh-seeded Spartans clamped down on defense to pull out a 76-70 victory over fourth-seeded Louisville in a thrilling NCAA Tournament East Regional final Sunday.
The Spartans (28-11), who were nearly counted out of the tournament conversation in February, won for the 12th time in 15 games. It’s a run that included them knocking off second-seeded Virginia last weekend and third-seeded Oklahoma in the regional semifinal on Friday.
Michigan State advances to face the winner of the South Regional final between Duke and Gonzaga.
Wayne Blackshear had 28 points for the Cardinals (27-9) in a game that featured 11 lead changes.
It’s the ninth Final Four appearance for the Spartans, and first since 2010, when they lost 52-50 to Butler in the national semifinals. Izzo has led them to seven Final Fours including the 2000 national championship.
The Spartans did it with perseverance and with a roster that was regarded as having less talent than the team that lost in the regional final to Connecticut a year ago. Michigan State lost three of its top four scorers.
The Spartans rallied from a 40-32 halftime deficit to eventually build a 61-59 lead with 3:57 left, when Trice hit two free throws.
The Cardinals rallied and had a chance to pull out the victory in regulation. Down 65-64, Mangok Mathiang hit one of two free throws with 4.9 seconds left.
Michigan State took control in overtime, starting with Bryn Forbes hitting a 3-pointer 26 seconds in.
The Spartans then sealed it in the final 31 seconds. Branden Dawson did what Izzo’s teams have done well over the years: He put back a 3-point miss by Forbes to put Michigan State up 74-70.
Spartans forward Denzel Valentine then batted away a pass on the Cardinals’ next possession, and Trice sealed the win by hitting two free throws with 10.1 seconds left.
AP
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