Time to get ready for the NCAA tournament
It started decently enough for MSU today but Wisconsin slowly took just enough control midway through the first half and was able to withstand every challenge from the Spartans down the stretch.
After struggling to get decent attempts on the first couple of possessions, Jase Richardson got MSU started with a three pointer following an offensive rebound. The Spartans were then able to attack the paint with difficult drives from Jeremy Fears and Richardson. A deep three from Ricahrdson and another three from Jaden Akins off the break had MSU up 13-4 before Nolan Winter hit Wisconsin’s first three to make it 13-7 with 15:37 to go.
Carson Cooper drew a foul on a nice screen and slip coming out of the media timeout and his two free throws made it 15-7 MSU. Wisconsin followed with a 5-0 run before a Coen Carr putback and a nice inside out from Cooper to Holloman led to another MSU three and a 20-12 lead.
Wisconsin clawed back into it before the under eight timeout, but MSU did start to put the Badgers in some foul trouble and got into the bonus. Richardson and Holloman both got to the line and hit free throws but, otherwise, MSU was settling for mid range jump shots. Meanwhile, Tonje got going for Wisconsin with a pull up in the lane and a three pointer to cut MSU’s lead to 28-25 at the under eight.
Wisconsin closed it to 30-28 with 3:56 to go as Max Klesmit, who missed the game in East Lansing, forced his way to the hoop and converted. This was after the Spartans missed a chance to swing momentum after a spectacular hustle play by Jaden Akins. After it appeared that John Blackwell would convert an MSU turnover into an easy layup after the ball bounced off an official to stay in bounds, Akins chased him down and made a spectacular block to save a hoop. But the Spartans missed two open threes after that.
After two free throws from Carson Cooper put MSU up 32-28, Wisconsin closed the half on a 9-1 run while MSU continued to struggle on offense. After Cooper’s free throws, Tonje responded with a three from Wisconsin to get within one.
Wisconsin then tied it on an unusual sequence where a blocking foul was called on Fears on a Blackwell drive. Blackwell hit one free throw but was called for a technical for tossing the ball on Fears while he was on the ground. Holloman hit one of two technical shots and that would be MSU’s last point of the half. Wisconsin closed the half with a wide open three from Crowl and two more Tonje free throws.
After a hot start, MSU finished the half shooting just 10-29 while Wisconsin hit 12-27, but only 5-17 from deep. Turnovers were a problem at times for MSU as six giveaways led to seven Badger points but the Spartans did get six points off four Wisconsin turnovers.
After only getting 11 total points in the regular season game at MSU, Tonje led all scorers with 14 at the half, hitting two of four three pointers and going 6-6 from the free throw line. Richardson led MSU with 10 while Holloman had eight off the bench.
Despite the offensive struggles to end the half, MSU was only down four and well within striking distance if they could get things flowing again on the offensive end.
But Klesmit would take it right to Richardson on a drive to start the second half and his two free throws put Wisconsin up 39-33. A couple possessions later Klesmit would get Richardson’s third foul far away from the basket and send him to the bench.
But Michigan State would start getting things to work in the paint. Fears responded to Klesmit’s drive with one of his own to get MSU back within four. The second of two buckets from Cooper in the paint would tie it at 41. A stop and go drive from Holloman would give MSU the lead back and then a Fears to Carr lob would extend it 45-41.
It appeared MSU had momentum in their favor at this point but Wisconsin would seize it back. Tonje got clear of Cooper and hit a baseline jumper to get back within two before the under 16 timeout.
It got worse from there as Holloman was called for a technical for saying something to Wisconsin’s bench on the way to the MSU bench. Tonje hit the technical shots coming out of the break and then a three over Akins and Wisconsin had the lead back at 48-45. Carter Gilmore faked a three and then got all the way to the rim for a jam and then Tonje struck again on a pretty drive. Suddenly it was 52-45 Wisconsin after an 11-0 run
Fears ended it by working his way into the paint and getting one to fall to get MSU back within five with 11:52 to go. Tonje would extend the lead to seven for Wisconsin before MSU got things moving on offense. Richardson, who came back in with his three fouls at about 14 minutes to go, answered Tonje with a huge three to make it 54-50.
A Fears floater got MSU within two. The Spartans had a chance to tie or take the lead again but could only muster a three point attempt from Carr that was off. Tonje made them pay again with another three to make it 57-52. A Holloman to Carr lob was answered by another Tonje three and then another huge three from Richardson. It was 60-57 Wisconsin with under seven minutes to go.
Richardson tied it at 60 by hitting all three free throws after drawing a foul on McGee on a three point attempt. Blackwell responded with a traditional three point play to put Wisconsin back up.
Gilmore hit a three to make it 68-63 Badgers but MSU kept the pressure on. Akins hit and got fouled on an aggressive drive. His free throw wouldn’t go but a Cooper offensive rebound led to a baby hook from Kohler and it was 68-67 Badgers.
MSU had a couple more chances to take the lead but couldn’t capitalize. Kohler got fouled on an offensive rebound but couldn’t hit the front end of the one and one. Still, Richardson got the board but later couldn’t get his floater off the drive to fall.
Akins fouled Tonje on the next Badgers’ trip and his two free throws put Wisconsin back up by three with 2:56 to go.
Akins missed an open three late in the shot clock that would have tied it at 70 with 1:30 to go. Blackwell put Wisconsin up five and it looked dim for MSU but Kohler hit a huge three to make it 72-70 and keep MSU in it.
MSU started fouling and, even though Wisconsin hit most of their free throws, the Spartans had a chance, down 77-74 with 14.3 seconds to go. Tom Izzo called timeout and drew up a play for Holloman to get a chance at a game-tying three point shot. Fears drove deep and kicked to Holloman but Carter Gilmore got a finger tip on it and MSU appeared to be done.
It wasn’t over yet though. After the finger tip block, Carr fouled Tonje, who missed his only two free throws after hitting his first 12. Fears pushed it and started to heave a shot from near half court. It looked like he got fouled by Tonje but a replay showed that Tonje got all ball just as Fears was going into his shooting motion.
Tonje was amazing all game and finished with 32 points for Wisconsin. Richardson had 21 for MSU but it just seemed like the Badgers were one step ahead of MSU from the midway point of the first half on.
Michigan State’s Big Ten tournament run ends and, along with it, probably any chance they may have had as a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Hopefully MSU should still be a solid pick for the #2 line but we’ll find out tomorrow if they can avoid Duke or Auburn’s region when the tournament bracket is announced.