MSU Yields To Penn State
INDIANAPOLIS (WWJ/AP) - Michigan State succumbs to Penn State 61-48 Saturday leaving Penn State to advance to the title game against Ohio State.
Kalin Lucas scored 16 points and Durrell Summers added 11 for Michigan State (19-14), which shot 21 percent in the second half.
The Spartans shot well early, just like they did against Purdue. Summers scored eight points in the first four minutes to help Michigan State take an 11-2 lead.
Talor Battle made six 3-pointers, scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half that put the Nittany Lions (19-13) in control for good.
A layup by Battle gave Penn State its first lead of the game, 23- 21, with 2:20 left in the first half. After Michigan State's Derrick Nix tied the game again, Battle drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to put his team up 26-23 with 48.9 seconds left in the half.
Lucas had three points and four turnovers at the break.
Battle made back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half during an 8-0 run that gave Penn State a 36-29 lead. Jeff Brooks' 3- pointer with 9:06 remaining gave Penn State a 49-35 lead, and the Nittany Lions remained in control from there.
"We can't control that - whatever they think of our resume...if we took care of business today we wouldn't have to worry about it," says MSU's Draymond Green about the NCAA's Selection Sunday entre into the 'big dance'.
"When it's one and done you have to bring 40 minutes of energy, we didn't do that today," says MSU coach Tom Izzo post game on the energy of the game.
The Nittany Lions have allowed 45.3 points per game in their three tournament wins.
The Nittany Lions haven't reached the NCAA tournament since 2001.
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