Michigan State’s Raymar Morgan made a free throw with two seconds remaining to give his team a 70-69 victory over Tennessee on Sunday to join Duke in the national collegiate basketball tournament’s Final Four.
Durrell Summers scored 21 points and Morgan added 13 and 10 rebounds to lead the fifth-seeded Michigan State Spartans to a showdown with Butler in Indianapolis on Saturday.
The Spartans were defeated by North Carolina in the national championship game last year and have made six Final Four appearances in the past 12 years.
PHOTO: AFP
“I’m proud of these guys,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told reporters. “I can’t tell you what these guys have been through. I’m proud to represent Michigan State.”
Tennessee had tied the game with 12 seconds left, but on the Spartans’ next possession Morgan took a pass inside and drew a foul to set up the winning free throw.
HOPEFUL HEAVE
Tennessee, who were led by Wayne Chism’s 13 points, made one final hopeful heave from half court but it fell short.
The Duke Blue Devils advanced to their 11th Final Four appearance under coach Mike Krzyzewski with a 78-71 win over Baylor in Houston.
Duke, the only remaining top seed in the tournament, had trailed Baylor by three points with six minutes remaining before guards Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer combined for 17 points in the last five minutes in a 20-7 run.
Smith finished with 29 points and Scheyer 20 points.
LaceDarius Dunn led Baylor with 22 points while Ekpe Udoh had 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five blocks.
Duke will now take on West Virginia in Indianapolis on Saturday.
‘ECSTATIC’
“We’re ecstatic,” Krzyzewski said after Duke made it back to the Final Four for the first time since 2004.
“I thought our offensive rebounding kept us in it and was the key to getting some separation in the last four minutes,” Krzyzewski said.
“This was a great basketball game,” he said.
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