For the fifth time in the past 11 seasons and the 10th under Tom Izzo, Michigan State is heading to the Elite 8 after an 80-63 win over LSU in the Sweet 16 from the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.
It was a huge night for the Spartan freshman with Aaron Henry leading the way for MSU with 20 points and eight rebounds while Gabe Brown managed 15 points and three rebounds off the bench.
The Difference
For some reason LSU either didn’t give Henry or Brown much respect from deep or defending them beyond the arc just wasn’t drawn up in their game plan. The Tigers defense simply gave the Spartans way too much from the three point line as MSU had five three’s in the first 10 minutes. Brown alone was 4-for-6 from downtown while Aaron Henry was 2-for-4.
At the end of the night, LSU’s defensive simply looked lost as Michigan State finished the game with 13 successful three-point attempts while out-rebounding LSU 36-28.
Nick Ward Injured Again
Nick Ward wasn’t much of a factor in the win as the Michigan State junior left the game in the second half after re-injuring his left hand.
Ward has previously missed five games when he originally broke in February and since his return has been wearing a brace on it. The good news however for Michigan State is Ward says he plans on playing Sunday against Duke in the Elite 8.
Cassius Winston Makes History
After notching his fifth assist of the night, Cassius Winston set a new single season record for Michigan State. The previous record was held by Mateen Cleaves when the Spartan legend recorded 274 in the 1998-99 season, a year before he led MSU to the national title.
What’s Next for Michigan State
After edging out Virginia Tech last night, No. 1 Duke and Zion Williamson now stand in the way of Michigan State and a Final Four appearance. It’ll be the sixth meeting between the two teams with the Blue Devils winning the five previous meetings.
Meanwhile Sunday’s game between Duke and Michigan State will be the first since 2015.