Michigan State Knocked out of NCAA Tournament by UCLA
Michigan State basketball magically turned its season around in the final three weeks to extend the program's NCAA tournament streak but didn't have enough left to take down UCLA in the First Four.
The Spartans lost an 11-point halftime lead as it fell short against the Bruins in overtime, 86-80 Thursday night at Mackey Arena.
MSU ended its season 16-14 overall (9-11 B1G) after earning an 11-seed that many analysts and fans questioned.
Yet Michigan State blew multiple leads and allowed UCLA to come back in the second half, forcing overtime.
The Bruins erased a 14-point advantage and took a 1-point lead with five minutes remaining, but the Spartans scored seven straight, shifting momentum their way.
However, MSU hit just one of its next four attempts, which left the door wide open for UCLA.
Michigan State struggled to contain Jaime Jaquez Jr. all night long, and with 28.7 seconds left in regulation, he drained a layup and hit the game-tying free throw. Aaron Henry's last-second shot missed the rim, and a Bruins halfcourt heave banged off the rim.
UCLA quickly went on a 9-0 run; meanwhile, the Spartans cooled off offensively, draining only three of their last 12 shots.
Henry led MSU with 18 points, five assists, seven rebounds, one block, and one steal. His running mate, Joshua Langford, finished with 12 points in potentially his last game as a Spartan, and Malik Hall added 10 more.
Like many teams, Michigan State faced unprecedented circumstances all year, and tonight MSU started playing some of its best basketball of the season. Still, as it's happened so often – the Spartans cooled off and let it slip away.
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