(2) Michigan State 67, (3) Kansas 63
No. 2 Michigan State exposed No. 3 Kansas’ youth in a 67-62 win that was fueled by the Jayhawks’ mistakes and inability to close out the game. Kansas led by as much as 13 in the first half, but the Spartans rallied with a 20-8 run that cut the lead to one shortly after halftime.
Sophomore point guard Kalin Lucas engineered the comeback with crisp passing and timely shooting. He hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 49 with 10 minutes to go, and he dished an assist to Raymar Morgan for his only field goal of the game to tie it again at 60 in the final minutes. To get the Spartans over the top, Lucas drained a shot with 48 seconds remaining and drew a foul for a three-point play. He iced the game with four subsequent free throws.
In sum, Lucas finished with 18 points and seven assists. Senior forward Goran Suton led Michigan State with 20 points. Kansas committed 19 turnovers, which helped Michigan State hang around long enough to rally.
