Michigan State’s Travis Trice (20) looks to shoot against Louisville’s Mangok Mathiang (12) during overtime in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament regional final, Sunday, March 29, 2015, in Syracuse, N.Y. Michigan State won 76-70. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Senior guard Travis Trice scored a team-high 17 points to lead the No. 7 seed Michigan State Spartans to a 76-70 overtime win over the No. 4 seed Louisville Cardinals in the East Regional finals on March 29 in Syracuse, N.Y. The Spartans advanced to the Final Four, marking its ninth appearance in school history.
Michigan State trailed early in the game and went into halftime down, 40-32. But the Spartans used a short scoring run to cut into the lead, tie the score and eventually force overtime. Then a three-pointer by junior guard Bryn Forbes sparked an overtime run by the Spartans that created enough cushion in the lead to secure the victory.
Forbes was one of three Spartans to score double-digit points – he finished with 14 points and junior forward Denzel Valentine added 15; senior forward Branden Dawson came close to posting a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, center, defends Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine (45) during the second half of a regional final in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament Sunday, March 29, 2015, in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Senior forward Wayne Blackshear led Louisville with 28 points.
Next – Louisville ends its season with a 27-9 overall record, while Michigan State (27-11) takes on No. 1 seed Duke, which beat No. 2 seed Gonzaga, 66-52, in the South Regional finals Sunday. The Final Four is scheduled for April 4 in Indianapolis.