For about nine minutes on Friday night, the game looked finished before it began.
UConn went on a 22-2 run in the first half that left Michigan State scoreless from the field for more than eight minutes, and the Spartans down 19 points at Capital One Arena. It felt less like a Sweet 16 and more like a scheduled demolition.
Then Michigan State woke up.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the second-seeded Huskies had survived a furious rally to beat the third-seeded Spartans 67-63, advancing to the East Regional final for the 14th time in program history. UConn, now 32-5 on the season, will face top-seeded Duke on Sunday at 5:05 p.m.
How UConn built the lead
The Huskies came out sharply, riding a 25-6 surge to take control early. Jaylin Stewart and Solo Ball hit back-to-back three-pointers that forced Michigan State into a timeout it did not want to burn that soon. The Spartans went cold and could not get stops. UConn assisted on 83.3% of its field goals for the game, and the ball moved with purpose from the opening tip.
Tarris Reed Jr. led all scorers with 20 points, pulling down five rebounds and adding four assists. Alex Karaban posted 17 points and seven rebounds, while Ball finished with 12 points off two three-pointers. Malachi Smith contributed seven assists and four steals from the bench.
Michigan State trimmed the gap to eight by halftime, 35-27, capping a 7-0 run to close the half. It was not enough to erase the damage, but it was enough to change the temperature of the building.
Reed saves UConn when the Spartans seize control
The second half belonged to Michigan State, at least for a while. The Spartans scored the first seven points out of the locker room and kept pushing. At the 10:06 mark, Jaxon Kohler converted a three-point play to give Michigan State its first lead since early in the game, 45-44. The crowd inside Capital One Arena shifted.
Kohler finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in what was his final game as a Spartan. Carson Cooper added 14 points and seven boards, while Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr each scored 13. Fears also distributed seven assists, steering the offense through moments that could have unraveled lesser point guards.
But Reed answered. Back-to-back baskets from the senior center pushed UConn back in front, and a Karaban three-pointer extended the lead to 51-47 with eight minutes remaining. The teams went punch for punch from there, trading baskets in a second half that bore no resemblance to the first.
Clutch free throws close it out
With under two minutes left, Cooper threw down a dunk, converted two free throws and added another dunk, cutting UConn’s lead to one at 58-57. Fears hit a three-pointer to keep Michigan State close, and with 32 seconds remaining, he sank two free throws to make it 63-62 in favor of the Huskies.
What followed was a free-throw clinic. Karaban and Reed combined to go 6-for-6 from the line in the final minute. Reed’s final two, with four seconds on the clock, sealed it.
Michigan State’s season ends, but the future looks full
For Michigan State, the loss closes the book on a 27-8 season and the careers of Kohler, Cooper, Trey Fort, Denham Wojcik and Nick Sanders. Coach Tom Izzo, whose record in Sweet 16 appearances moved to 11-6, now holds an all-time NCAA Tournament mark of 61-27 with a record 28 consecutive tournament appearances.
The program is not rebuilding. An incoming recruiting class featuring center Ethan Taylor, guard Jasiah Jervis, point guard Carlos Medlock Jr. and forward Julius Avent, along with the expected returns of Kaleb Glenn and Divine Ugochukwu from injury, gives East Lansing reasons to believe in another strong run next year.
For now, UConn moves on. Reed delivered when the game hung in the balance, Karaban made the shots that mattered, and a program built on March composure added another chapter to a tournament resume that already runs 75-33 all-time.
Duke is next.
