MSU's Tourney Run Ends as First-Half Struggles Finally Catch Up
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ATLANTA, Ga. -- Michigan State's strong second halves had been a major strength for the Green and White this season.
The Spartans were able to find battle back after finding themselves down by sizeable deficits in the first half of each of their first three NCAA Tournament games.
But against No. 1 overall seed Auburn, Michigan State wasn't going to be able to afford falling into an early hole this time around. And it did just that.
The No. 2-seeded Spartans were bested, 70-64, in the Elite Eight, despite an admirable comeback attempt that fell just short.
Michigan State shot just 34.4% from the field. Defensively, it was dominated by the SEC Player of the Year, senior forward Johni Broome, who finished with a game-high 25 points.
The Spartans were led by junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who secured a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, senior guard Jaden Akins, who scored 15 points and freshman guard Jase Richardson, who ended with 11.
Right off the bat, Michigan State struggled to contain Broome, who scored the Tigers' first 6 points.
After starting down 4-0, Kohler got the ball rolling for his squad by drilling one from range.
On the Spartans' next possession, a converted and-1 from Richardson would even the contest at 6 apiece. Less than 2 minutes later, a slam from sophomore forward Coen Carr would give Michigan State its first -- and only -- lead.
That didn't last long, though, as Auburn would answer with a monster of a run, a 17-0 stretch that included three triples, including one from Broome.
Amidst it all, the Spartans tried desperately to get back in the game with 3-pointers but simply couldn't connect, missing six attempts from beyond the arc in less than 2 minutes.
Michigan State found itself down 15 with roughly 10-and-a-half to go in the half,
The Spartans were finally able to put together a little run themselves, scoring 7 unanswered points, 5 of which came from senior forward Frankie Fidler. That brought Michigan State back to within single digits with 8:41 remaining until halftime.
Later on, another 3 from Kohler right out of a timeout would cut the deficit to just two possessions with less than 3-and-a-half minutes left in the half.
That momentum shifted back in Auburn's favor when freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford attacked the lane and drew a foul on a made bucket. He would miss the free throw, though.
A similar event would occur for the Spartans shortly after, as Akins had an opportunity to convert an and-1 of his own but was unable to get the free throw to go down, missing out on the chance to make it a two-possession lead again.
Michigan State would be down 9 at halftime. It shot just 26.7% from the field.
The Spartans opened the second half strong, though, trimming the deficit down to just 5 with less than 2-and-a-half minutes elapsed.
But Auburn would quickly go back up double digits in just over a minute.
The Spartans took a hit with just under 5 minutes gone, as Broome would convert a momentous and-1 for the Tigers, putting his team up 11.
The Tigers would nail the resilient Spartans with another gut punch 3 minutes later, as a corner triple from Pettiford would extend Auburn's lead to 12 with less than 12 minutes remaining.
The Spartans were able to chip away at the Tigers' lead by way of the free-throw line before another brutal 3-pointer, this time from senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara, blew the margin back up to 11 with just under 6-and-a-half minutes to go.
Michigan State went down by as many as 12 with just over 2-and-a-half minutes remaining, and the window of opportunity for a comeback continued to grow more and more narrow with each passing minute.
A triple from Akins and another from Kohler would give the Spartans a bit of life, but Auburn just kept responding.
Akins would make another two in the final minute, but the game had already all but been decided.
Michigan State's tournament run ends in Atlanta, and what a run it was.
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