MSU falls to Butler, 52-50
Spartans' season ends in national semifinal
Butler forward Gordon Hayward steals the rebound from junior guard Durrell Summers while sophomore forward Delvon Roe is held back during the last seconds of Saturday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Butler defeated MSU, 52-50, and will advance to the national championship game Monday. Georgia Rhodes/The State News
Tweet
Indianapolis — There were two sounds you couldn’t hear enough of Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium: the clang of the rim and high-pitched screech of the official’s whistle.
But when push came to shove in the final seconds, the Spartans didn’t hear the sound they wanted.
A physical driving layup attempt in the final seconds by sophomore forward Draymond Green fell short and the Butler Bulldogs held on to defeat MSU, 52-50, in the national semifinals and advance to the national championship on Monday.
“I thought we played with some of the most bizarre lineups we played with all year, and yet we put ourselves in a position where, I thought at the end we had a chance to take a shot and win a game,” MSU men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo said. “I thought we did everything in our power to do that. I felt like, I guess, I questioned some of the way that last shot went.”
The Spartans trailed by one in the final seconds when Green drove to the basket. There was a lot of contact but no foul called. Butler guard Ronald Nored grabbed the rebound, was immediately fouled and hit two free throws. Green finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Photo: Sophomore guard ...
Photo: Sophomore forward ...
Gallery: Men's basketball ...
With two seconds remaining, sophomore guard Korie Lucious missed the second of two free throws on purpose but Butler forward Gordon Hayward grabbed the rebound, clinching the victory. Hayward led the Bulldogs with 19 points and nine rebounds.
Monday’s national championship will be Butler’s first appearance in the final game.
“We might not have believed it when we said it, in our first team meeting in the fall, but if we focus and do our jobs, then why can’t we play for a national championship?” Butler head coach Brad Stevens said. “That’s been our focus all along.”
In the Spartans’ losses this season, turnovers often reared their ugly head. MSU turned the ball over 16 times Saturday night, compared to eight for Butler. The Bulldogs outscored MSU off turnovers 20-2.
“They play great defense, they’re just a real scrappy team,” said junior guard Chris Allen, who finished with zero points or no field goal attempts in 16 minutes.
“You put the ball anywhere out in front of them and they were swiping for the ball. The refs, I don’t want to say they were calling bad calls, but it wasn’t fair.”
The Spartans began the game with efficient shooting as they took a 28-23 lead with 2:46 to play in the first half. But the Bulldogs scored five points to end the half and send the teams into the locker room tied at 28. Hayward and Butler guard Shelvin Mack scored 25 of the Bulldogs’ 28 first-half points.
Part of the reason for the Spartans’ turnover troubles might have been the lineups Izzo was forced to play. Because of foul trouble, several players were called upon to play quality minutes, such as sophomore guard Austin Thornton and junior guard Mike Kebler, who played 12 and seven minutes, respectively.
“It’s unfortunate how everything happened because some of the lineups in the game, sometimes we never had in practice,” Allen said. “Guys didn’t know what other guys would do. We were just out of sync a lot because of the fouls and stuff like that.”
MSU had 21 points at the 9:48 mark of the first half. They scored 29 the rest of the game. MSU was led by junior guard Durrell Summers, who scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to earn the fifth double-double in MSU Final Four history.
After surrendering the lead early in the second half, the Spartans only gave up four field goals in the final 17:41 and just one in the final 12:17. But MSU scored only four field goals in the final 12 minutes.
“We held them, but we weren’t converting like we thought we could,” Green said. “We were putting them at the free-throw line way too much and that’s pretty much the game right there. They were knocking them down and we weren’t.”
The Spartans went 10-for-18 from the free-throw line, including 5-for-12 in the second half. Butler went 17-for-24 for the game. The Spartans had 21 team fouls while Butler had 17, which led to a sloppy and slow-paced game.
Senior forward Raymar Morgan had a forgettable final game as a Spartan. After picking up two fouls in the first five minutes, he picked up a quick third due to confusion from the officials. Morgan finished with four points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.
“It’s disappointing, but my teammates did a great job in trying to pick me up,” Morgan said.
The Spartans won the battles in rebounding (36-32) and points in the paint (18-16), but Izzo felt his team was out-toughed, something not often associated with MSU teams.
“Next year, those practices, if anybody here tells me about football pads or anything else, you can stick it,” Izzo told the media. “Don’t be questioning me about toughness things next year. There’s going to be fistfights in my practices because we’ll never get out-toughed like we did tonight.”
Commentary
Add your $0.02, go to the comment form or follow the comment feed
lol
(04/03/10 8:45pm)Report
just pathetic play. why so many damn turnovers? Spartans need to learn one thing: STOP SHOWING OFF! Just play the damn ball already. Was it 19pts from turnovers? Are you kidding me? Just one word: Pathetic.
ExCalSpartan
(04/03/10 8:46pm)Report
Great officiating all game long.
I don’t think blaming one or two calls is wrong, but I am furious the refs tried to and was successful to influence the game.
We played badly, but there should have been a set of fair crews. NCAA and CBS got what they want now…
God, I can’t handle this one. This should not be the way we go out.
i agree with LOL
(04/03/10 8:50pm)Report
Terrible turn overs. Terrible throw aways. Terrible free throw shooting. Terrible fouling. We deserved to lose this game, and I hope that Butler wins the championship. I kinda thought we would lose this game once the players starting talking about how this is “destiny”
Still I congradulate this Michigan State team for a very good year, especially in light of the injuries. If they can deflate their egos over the summer and come in next year with focus and a hard work ethic they will be a championship caliber team for sure.
2 sense
(04/03/10 9:01pm)Report
Izzo was more aggressive than our players today. They took Summers and his threes out of the game completely. Green stepped up but seemed to get beat down by the refs. Anyways we’ll be back next year when all these other teams will not. GO GREEN
Angie Walker
(04/03/10 9:06pm)Report
I watched Tom Izzo’z wife Lupa, sitting in the stands and my heart went out to her. How would it be for her to be sitting in the stands all alone….it seemed like someone should of been there sitting next to her. That is what caught my eye. Oh and the game, I wish we would of won!
Mitts
(04/03/10 9:13pm)Report
That is not the game any Spartan wanted to see, but I also think this is a game that no Spartan expected to see. Great tournament, great season. Still damn proud to be a Spartan. Let’s make it an injury free season next year and win this damn thing.
JDMSU
(04/03/10 9:16pm)Report
We should have ran the floor more, I don’t think Butler could have kept up, we waited way to late in the game to push it. Hey we still had a decent season and went farther than anyone thought. We beat bigger teams to get to the Final Four…
Izzo, next season, bring the toughness and hussle!
Qin Shi Huandi
(04/03/10 9:18pm)Report
Lets go Duke
Brian
(04/03/10 9:18pm)Report
Jesus, I thought Ed Hightower was reffing this game. Terrible…step your game up NCAA! Lets go! At least make it less obvious about wanting Butler to win. Get some 25 year old refs who dont anticipate calls..Goodness…
student
(04/03/10 9:24pm)Report
Just chill. MSU lost but they had a tremendous season. If something is sure for Spartans is that we’ll always have a great basketball season to look forward to. Besides, we added a Final Four banner to the collection.
Also, spring football is just weeks away and it is a great time to take a break, support other non-revenue sports and get ready for next football season.
Chrissy
(04/03/10 9:28pm)Report
It was a great run! We need to enjoy the run up to the Final 4. The Spartans gave us a lot of thrills in this tournament. We shouldn’t come away from this with bitterness, but enjoy having been part of it, by rooting on our team, no matter what the outcome. I was still thrilled to have the opportunity to sit in Buffalo Wild Wings and cheer our team on with everyone else, as we all screamed and shouted and go Green, go White…The game wasn’t boring in the least and I waited til the end with anticipation, wow was that FUN!
ExCalSpartan
(04/03/10 9:30pm)Report
Anyone who can understand the game of basketball would see what the refs did all day.
Terrible everything for the Spartans??!!!
Don’t try to analyze the game if you just look at the stats!!!!
Ultimately, we should have overcome the hostile officiating, yet I wish the game was under fair whistle, and have those two tough teams going against each other.
Shadoman
(04/03/10 9:35pm)Report
Great Spartan run this year despite the injuries and controversies! When I went to State we never had a B-ball team to speak of. Izzo has done an incredible job over the years. I’m looking forward to next year’s run to the Finals! Go Green! Thanks for the thrill this year!
officiating blah blah blah
(04/03/10 9:38pm)Report
Does anyone remember the last time a team lost a game? I don’t people always blame the officials. If you don’t want a foul called then don’t commit the foul. I love how all us MiSt fans called other fans in the tournaments whiners when calls did not go their way, but now that we are whining its okay. Grow Up. We committed stupid fouls and stupid turn overs and everything else.
ExCalSpartan
(04/03/10 9:50pm)Report
Yeah, grown man, you are right.
Do you possibly remember the BT-T game in Neitzel’s final year against WIS?
There are games officials should be blamed, and today’s was the second one since then.
Great season and strong run by the Spartans I really respect and appreciate; thus, the fainal game should not have been like today’s.
whiners are whiners, nothing more
(04/03/10 10:08pm)Report
so odd, ex so cal spartan, the only two games you note that were determined by refs are against MiSt? How so very strange. I mean, refs must just had MiSt, because we never have calls go our way eh? (Laugh). 15 turn overs are what lost the game. Terrible free throw shooting is what lost the game. Arrogance and laziness on our part is what lost the game. It was “destiny” HA!
I won’t make excuses, you win some calls, you lose some calls, thats how it is. For every game that has been “lost” by a call, we have won by a call. Refs aren’t perfect, but a team that played as poorly as us can’t blame it on them
ExCalSpartan
(04/03/10 10:20pm)Report
Just keep looking at the stats, buddy.
Of course, those are among the two Spartan losses in recent years. You thought in entire basketball history, huh?
Again, I agree that we should have played better and overcome the hostile whistling, but there are few games that refs do intend to influence.
too bad
(04/03/10 10:39pm)Report
we missed to many open looks and too many free throws. the officiating was tight, but not unfair. with all our turnovers and the ease in which butler was able to get the ball inside, a 4 foul differential is not out of the question. we had a great season. its too bad that we ended it by beating ourselves.
excalspartan needs to grow up and take a loss like a man.
Go Do Something Better With Your Life
(04/03/10 10:42pm)Report
Here is an idea…instead of wasting your time bashing MSU on their local newspaper, maybe you should go do something productive with your life. Big Egos are the last thing I saw from the Spartans. More like determination and heart…which got them through the many adversities they faced; especially the loss of their best player. So what if they believe in destiny. Quit judging 18-22 year old college students for having faith and believing. Take your negativity elsewhere.
Brian
(04/03/10 11:19pm)Report
Officiating determined that game.
fat and sassy
(04/04/10 12:18am)Report
How did Izzo describe the mentality of this team at times? “Fat and Sassy”. Personally when I see players talking about “destiny” and how its just meant to be, I think of fat and sassy. Izzo was as preplexed as anybody by the lack of focus this team has exhibited at times. There is a difference between being a loyal fan and a sycophant. I, personally, am a fan and will discuss short comings when I see them.
This team had a great year, it fought hard long after being depleted and when other teams would have left themselves for dead. Still today was sloppy playing on our part, and great effort on Butlers part. Next year I hope our team is 100 percent focused, if they are, they will dominant like no other.
mark
(04/04/10 1:12am)Report
1. Decent 1st half by State. Terrible second half, not helped by some suspect officiating, morgan playing pretty poorly, and turnovers.
2. I love Izzo but was surprised we did not just post up on them all game, given they were playing man D, had only one tall guy that frankly, except for the last play, Green seemed to be able to take pretty easy.
3. Oh well, great to get to the Final Four, not so great to lose your game to an inferior team
4. And yes, Butler is NOT a good team, but the tournament lets a hot team make a run, and they sure have.
Izzo
(04/04/10 1:46am)Report
Raymar Morgan sucks he is the most overrated player to ever play at Michigan State University.
sandiegosparty
(04/04/10 1:52am)Report
tough loss, but without leadership on the floor, there wasn’t much we could do and let’s face it, Duke would put a beat down on Sparty like NC last year with all our injuries. haven’t seen anyone mention the fact that Allen’s injury played a huge part in the loss. he wasn’t able to do anything. and Roe seemed like his leg was worse also, no real big plays today. when you add that up, there was no way we were going to win that game. Awesome season and with Lucas and Summers coming back for their Sr year with all the experience, they’ll be back in the Final Four again. great job to the entire team and to the coach and his staff.
MythBuster
(04/04/10 2:13am)Report
This loss was all about Kalin Lucas. Not having him and his ball handling was the 100% difference in the game. That’s what really caused most of the turnovers.