The UConn Huskies made big plays down the stretch on Friday to take down the Michigan State Spartans 67-63 and punch their ticket to the Elite 8.
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The Huskies wasted no time taking control early. Some red-hot shooting to start the night allowed them to jump out to a 19-point lead after 10 minutes of action.
Michigan State struggled to knock down threes, but finally put together several defensive stops and pounded the paint to eat at the deficit.
Despite UConn’s consistent scoring for the entire opening half, Michigan State cut the lead to eight by the break.
After 10 long minutes of strong defense in the second half, the Spartans finally took the lead. It didn’t last long, though. The Huskies’ offense broke it’s cold spell and retook the advantage.
For the rest of the matchup, the two squads were in a back-and-forth battle for the advantage. In the end, UConn star Tarris Reed Jr. knocked down two free throws with less than five seconds on the clock to seal the victory.
He finished the game with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
For the Spartans, Carson Cooper had 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
