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WASHINGTON — In a thrilling Sweet 16 matchup on Friday night, Tarris Reed Jr. delivered an impressive 20-point performance, while Alex Karaban contributed 17 points and crucial free throws, propelling second-seeded UConn to a narrow 67-63 victory over third-seeded Michigan State.
The Huskies, now boasting a 32-5 record, found themselves clinging to a 63-62 advantage when Karaban was fouled with just 22.5 seconds left on the clock. Demonstrating composure under pressure, Karaban sank both shots of a one-and-one opportunity, extending UConn’s lead to three points. Michigan State struggled to find an open shot quickly, and Kur Teng’s attempt from beyond the arc fell short.
With only 4.6 seconds remaining, a rebound foul was called against the Huskies, sending Michigan State’s Carson Cooper to the line. Cooper managed to hit the first free throw but missed the second, which appeared unintentional. Reed then secured the rebound and confidently knocked down two free throws, putting the game out of reach for Michigan State.
With this victory, UConn moves on to face top-seeded Duke in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region final, setting the stage for an exciting showdown on Sunday.
UConn advances to a true heavyweight clash in Sunday’s final of the NCAA Tournament’s East Region against top-seeded Duke.
Michigan State (27-8) overcame an early 19-point deficit but bowed out on a night the Spartans shot just 4 of 16 from 3-point range.
The four teams that arrived in Washington this week have combined for 13 national titles, so it was no surprise that both games Friday were pulsating. Duke’s 80-75 win over St. John’s in the opener came down to the last few seconds.
It looked at first like the second game wouldn’t. Malachi Smith, Solo Ball and Jaylin Stewart combined for four 3-pointers during a 15-1 run that put UConn up 25-6. The Spartans had to clamp down defensively over the final three minutes just to trail 35-27 at halftime.
Michigan State scored the first seven points of the second, but the Huskies pushed back. After a steal and dunk by Reed put UConn back up by six, Huskies coach Dan Hurley began waving his arms wildly at the fans behind his bench, exhorting them to be louder.
The Spartans didn’t waver. A three-point play by Jaxon Kohler with 10:06 to play put Michigan State up 45-44.
A short scoring draught by the Spartans allowed UConn to take a 56-49 on a driving layup by Ball, but it stayed tight until the end. The Huskies led 58-57 when Karaban made a 3. Jeremy Fears Jr. answered from beyond the arc for Michigan State to cut the lead to one.
Reed made two free throws with 44.8 seconds to play, and Fears made two with 32.3 remaining.