No. 2 seed UConn looked like it was ready to run No. 3 seed Michigan State out of the gym in the first 10 minutes of the Sweet 16 on Friday night. The Huskies (32-5) were playing some of their sharpest basketball of the season, jumping out to a 19-point first half lead.
But Head Coach Dan Hurley knew that it would take more than just a hot 10 minute to put away the Spartans (27-8). Especially in March.
“I always say to myself, when a team gets a big lead halfway through the first half, I always say it’s too early,” Hurley said.
Thirteen straight missed baskets for Michigan State allowed UConn to jump out to the near 20-point advantage. But they don’t call the Spartan’s head coach, Tom Izzo, “Mr. March” without good reason.
Michigan State continued to lean into its strong frontcourt and attack the basket. The Spartans controlled the glass throughout the game. They claimed a nine-rebound advantage over the Huskies.
Carson Cooper led Michigan State in scoring with 14 points. Forwards Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler also contributed double digit performances. Cooper finished a paint jumper that put the Spartans ahead 47-46 in the second half.
“We knew they were going to make a run,” Hurley said. “We knew we were going to have to make plays down the stretch.”
Tarris Reed Jr. had to navigate through Michigan State’s treacherous frontcourt. He let a couple of opportunities around the rim slip by as the Spartans chipped away at UConn’s lead.
“I just rushed… I wasn’t patient,” Reed said. “But I just kept trusting my game.”
That trust in himself may have been the Huskies’ saving grace.
Reed began to assert himself against Michigan State’s bigs. He swung the momentum back in favor of UConn when he poked a ball away from Cooper at the top of the key before taking it coast to coast for an emphatic fast break dunk.
He scored a game-high 20-points, but his biggest contribution came in the final moments. Reed has been a sub-60% free throw shooter all season, so of course Michigan State wanted him at the charity stripe with the game on the line.
Reed took two trips to the free throw line in the final minute of the game and delivered. He sunk all four free throws after starting the game 0-for-2. The last two put UConn ahead by four and secured the 67-63 win.
The Huskies’ starting center reflected the moment after the game.
“I put in the work… just taking my time every shot, breathe and live with the result,” Reed said.
UConn’s double-digit advantage in the first half was built on a resurgence in three-point shooting. The Huskies struggled from deep at just a 26% clip during the first weekend of the tournament. Hurley said after the second round win over UCLA that the threes were due to fall soon.
Alex Karaban’s fell first.
The senior buried the UConn’s first attempt from three to take its first lead of the game after falling behind 2-0 in the opening possession. Solo Ball later found his groove. Ball, who used to be a standout marksman, had made just one three pointer on 11 attempts in the opening weekend of the tournament.
He pulled his first triple of the game coming around a screen from Reed. The net hardly moved as Ball’s shot connected for his second tournament three.
“Reed was just able to get me open, and I had a wide-open shot,” Ball said. “It was a great feeling to have that go in for sure.”
Ball drilled another to put the Huskies up 24-6 at the midway point of the first half, which forced Izzo to call a timeout. Friday was Ball’s first game with multiple threes since March 12 against Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.
Karaban led the Huskies in threes with three, on his way to a 17-point night. He also hit two free throws in the waning moments of the game to protect UConn’s lead.
He combated the more physical Michigan State frontcourt with an unwavering tenacity in the paint. He pulled down a team-high seven boards and made several putback plays and tough finishes at the cup. He rejected shots on back-to-back possessions to help keep the Spartans at arm’s length
The two-time national champion has ramped up his play since the start of the first round. He is averaging 22 points per game in this year’s tournament while shooting over 50% from the field and 40% from three. Karaban has yet to miss a free throw through three March Madness games.
“That’s what this time of year is all about,” Hurley said. “You’ve got to have veteran players that aren’t going to blink.”
The Huskies managed to mitigate Jeremy Fears Jr. to an inefficient scoring night. It took the sophomore guard 15 shots to muster up 13 points. Fears still managed to dish out seven assists, but not without coughing up three second-half turnovers and totaling four on the game.
UConn will move on to its third Elite Eight in four years, where it will meet the No. 1 overall seed, Duke. The two most storied programs of the modern era haven’t faced off in the NCAA Tournament since 2004, when UConn bounced the Blue Devils in the Final Four en route to its second title.
Tipoff is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. and will be available on CBS.