Dan Hurley, UConn Beat Tom Izzo, MSU to Advance as Fans Eye Duke Matchup in March Madness Elite 8
UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. scored 20 points, including four clutch free throws in the final minute, to lead the No. 2 seed Huskies to a 67-63 win over the No. 3 seed Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Friday in Washington, D.C.
Reed, who began this tournament with a 31-point, 27-rebound first round effort against No. 15 seed Furman, added five rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
UConn led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but the Spartans chipped away and even took a pair of one-point leads in the second half. Carson Cooper's turnaround jumper gave MSU a 47-46 lead with 9:22 remaining.
However, Reed made a hook shot on UConn's next possession, and the Huskies held the lead for the rest of the game, although it remained close.
Michigan State star guard Jeremy Fears hit a three to cut UConn's lead to 61-60 with 1:11 left.
Reed, who was a 58.6 percent free throw shooter entering the night, then calmly hit two free throws after a shooting foul to put UConn up 63-60.
Fears then made two free throws before UConn senior forward Alex Karaban, who had 17 points and seven boards, connected on two of his own. Cooper then went to the line and made one-of-two, slashing UConn's lead to 65-63 with four seconds left.
Reed went to the line for a one-and-one after grabbing the defensive rebound following Cooper's miss on the second free throw. He calmly made both, and MSU turned the ball over on its last possession to end the game.
Now UConn will play No. 1 overall seed Duke, which held off tough No. 5 seed St. John's 80-75 in the Sweet Sixteen earlier in the evening. Duke features consensus first-team All-American (and potential NBA draft pick) Cameron Boozer as well as guard Isaiah Evans, who is lighting up the tournament with 19.3 PPG.
UConn, of course, has great talents of its own. The Huskies are also led by head coach Dan Hurley, a two-time national champion looking to become just the seventh head coach in men's D-I history to win three or more NCAA titles: John Wooden (10), Mike Krzyzewski (five), Adolph Rupp (four), Bob Knight, Jim Calhoun and Roy Williams (three apiece).
It's a mammoth game between two historically great programs with 11 combined national championships (six for UConn, five for Duke) for a shot to go to the Final Four. Needless to say, fans and analysts are excited.
Tipoff is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. CBS will televise the matchup.
