Michigan State basketball hangs on to lock up Big Ten triple-bye
· Yahoo Sports
EAST LANSING – It must have been a touch of Deja Scarlet, as Michigan State basketball again fell into an early hole against Rutgers.
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Just five weeks ago, the Scarlet Knights dominated the Spartans for most of their game in Piscataway, before Jeremy Fears Jr. engineered a frantic second-half comeback for an OT win. But on Thursday, March 5, at Breslin Center, Fears & Co. didn’t let it get that far.
After trailing by four points a little under five minutes in, No. 8 MSU turned it around and put the Knights to bed with an 91-87 victory, locking in an extra day of rest in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and keeping the Spartans’ hopes of a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament alive and well.
Fears and Coen Carr led the Spartans with 21 points apiece, while Fears added eight assists.
Big Ten Tournament picture for the Spartans
With the win, the Spartans locked up a triple-bye in next week’s Big Ten tournament, meaning they’ll start in the quarterfinals in Chicago on Friday, March 13, as either the 2-, 3- or 4-seed. (Michigan has the 1-seed locked up already.) A win in their finale would clinch the 2-seed and a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at United Center on Big Ten Network.
Next up for Michigan State
But before then, MSU has that finale remaining: a visit to Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Sunday (4:30 p.m., CBS) against No. 3 Michigan. The Wolverines won the first meeting between the two, in East Lansing on Jan. 30, and will be playing to establish their bona fides as a potential No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
A tight first half for Spartans
It may have been senior day at the Bres for MSU, but it was a junior who led the way in the first half, as Carr poured in eight points despite making just one of three shots from the floor. But the big had four rebounds and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, part of a paint performance for the Spartans that saw them lead the Scarlet Knights in scoring there, 18-14, and outrebound them, 17-10.
Good thing, too, as the Spartans’ on-again-off-again outside shooting, was, well, off again; MSU went 1-for-5 beyond the arc, with Jeremy Fears Jr. sinking the lone 3 as part of his six first-half points.
Carson Cooper, a senior day honoree, also had six first-half points, going 3-for-4 with two rebounds.
Tariq Francis led Rutgers with 10 first-half points, thanks to two 3s, and added a pair of assists.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball edges Rutgers on emotional senior day