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The No. 2 UConn men’s basketball team escaped by the skin of its teeth against No. 3 Michigan State, earning a 67-63 Sweet 16 victory Friday night.
Next up is an Elite Eight matchup against top-seeded Duke on Sunday to determine who will go to Indianapolis and play in the Final Four on April 4.
Friday’s game paired Spartans’ Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo against Huskies’ two-time national champion head coach Dan Hurley, and many anticipated a nailbiter.
That’s exactly how it unfolded... eventually.
At the start, it was all UConn, as the Huskies jumped out to a 25-6 lead during the game’s first 10 minutes.
The team from Connecticut looked as good as it had all season, making six of its first seven three-point attempts.
Senior captain Alex Karaban, freshman guard Braylon Mullins, junior guard Solo Ball, senior guard Malachi Smith and even junior forward Jaylin Stewart – in his return from injury – all nailed deep shots early.
That’s when Michigan State started chipping back slowly and steadily. By halftime the Spartans had cut their deficit to eight points.
Entering the second frame, the comeback continued as Michigan State erased UConn’s lead entirely.
For most of the half, the Huskies clung to a small lead, but with 10 minutes remaining Michigan State pulled ahead by a point.
It was only a matter of seconds, however, before UConn answered back and built its advantage back up to seven points.
Still Michigan State scrapped and clawed, climbing to within a point of the Huskies with two minutes remaining.
Ultimately, UConn’s combination of timely buckets and staunch defense stifled Michigan State, but the Huskies would not have won if it weren’t for timely free throw shooting.
UConn missed six of its first seven free throws on Friday night, and senior center Tarris Reed Jr. found himself at the line several times in the final minute with the season on the line.
Reed, who shots around 50% from the line, had missed all his free throws on Friday before then, but he stepped up to the stripe with 44 seconds left and increased UConn’s lead from one to three points.
Then, with four seconds to go and the Huskies up by two points, Reed calmly sunk two more free throws to cement the win.
After registering a combined 41 points and 40 rebounds in the first two rounds, Reed was UConn’s best player again against Michigan State.
He finished with a game-high 20 points while grabbing five rebounds and blocking two shots.
Hurley elected to pound the ball to Reed in the low post, and the surging center either took advantage of single coverage or responded to double teams by finding open perimeter shooters.
Karaban was also sharp, as he improved his March Madness record to a staggering 16-1 over the past four seasons.
Karaban scored 17 points, nailed three big shots from beyond the arc, played tough defense and secured a team-high seven rebounds. He also made two critical free throws in a one-point game down the stretch.
Furthermore, Karaban was responsible for a deep three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:39 to go that may have saved the Huskies from collapsing.
In an interview after the game, Karaban explained how there’s different sides of March Madness, and he doesn’t want to be on the one that involves going home.
“You know, there’s the beauty side of it and the disappointing side of it, and selfishly, I don’t want my career to end. I love these guys so much, I love this team, and I really want to keep going with this group. I’m glad we stuck together against a really tough team,” Karaban said.
Hurley said that both teams played hard on Friday, but UConn hit more shots. He acknowledged there is no opponent he respects more than one coached by Izzo.
According to Hurley, the early lead served as his team’s life preserver during the tightly contested second half.
“Obviously, we had the cushion early, and it took a lot out of them to climb back into it,” Hurley said.
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Regarding Karaban, Hurley continued offering his highest praise. He said Karaban should be nationally recognized for his resume.
“It’s hard to imagine he’s underappreciated; somebody who’s done what he’s done. He’s been the most decorated player the last four years in college basketball. Everybody should be talking about this man’s greatness because he’s all about winning,” Hurley said.
On Friday, several Huskies looked much improved compared to the opening rounds, and Ball was most notable. He nailed his first two three-point attempts, played aggressively, had big plays on defense and drove the ball to the hoop effectively.
Mullins also nailed his first three-pointer, which was one of two he made on the night. He finished with eight points.
Junior guard Silas Demary Jr. continues to progress following his ankle injury two weeks ago in New York. He returned to the starting lineup Friday.
While Demary scored just two points, he logged 23 minutes on the court and played strong defense.
Outside of Stewart’s three-pointer, the UConn bench didn’t contribute much, only scoring eight points.
On the other sideline, Michigan State was led by a balanced attack, as four Spartans scored between 12 and 14 points.
Jeremy Fears Jr., the sophomore guard who led Michigan State in scoring and the country in assists this season, had a relatively quiet night. He ended the game with 13 points and seven assists.
The Spartans also struggled from three-point land on Friday, shooting just 25%. Meanwhile, UConn shot 43% from beyond the arc.
Michigan State won the rebounding battle 39-30, but that included 13 offensive rebounds, many coming early in the first half when the Spartans couldn’t buy a shot.
UConn had more assists than Michigan State, as well as more blocks, steals and points off turnovers.
The all-time series between the two programs now leans 5-4 in the direction of the Huskies, who have beaten the Spartans in two consecutive NCAA Tournaments matchups between the teams.
With the loss, Michigan State ended its season at 27-8, while the victory boosted UConn’s mark to 32-5.
Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup will showcase two Blue Blood programs with a rich history of competing against each other on the basketball court in March and April.
Whether it be Christian Laettner’s buzzer beater in the 1990 Elite Eight to end the Huskies’ “Dream Season,” or UConn’s shocking victory in the 1999 national championship game, these two teams have done battle when the stakes are the highest.
Duke is the tournament’s top overall seed and has a 35-2 record this season.
While the Blue Devils, led by head coach Jon Scheyer, will enter as favorites on Sunday, they’ve looked vulnerable at times during March Madness and barely escaped No. 16 Siena on March 19.
Still, with a roster full of future NBA stars, Duke is poised to reclaim its past glory and win its first national championship since 2015.
That won’t happen if Hurley and company have anything to say about it.
The UConn head coach reflected on the 1990 game, in which his brother Bobby was Duke’s point guard, and expressed excitement to be part of the rivalry’s newest chapter.
“They’ve been the best team in the country the whole year,” Hurley said. “I’ve watched them a lot during the year, and they’ve been one of the gold standards in college basketball. John has done an excellent job.”
After seeing them beat St. John’s on Friday, he added that the Blue Devils appear to be healthy, making the challenge even greater.
So, following Friday’s instant classic against Michigan State, Hurley is ready for another tight one Sunday. There’s just no avoiding it.
“It’s exciting. UConn-Duke again in a big NCAA Tournament game. I’ve seen some of them firsthand with Bobby, and now I’m in one,” Hurley said.
Sunday’s game will tip off at 5:05 p.m. and air on CBS.
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Dalton Zbierski is a story desk editor and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected].
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