Michigan State men's basketball beats USC 72-62 in NCAA Tournament first round matchup
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second year in a row, USC is one and done in March Madness. The Trojans, a No. 10 seed, fell 72-62 to No. 7 seed Michigan State on Friday.
The team was doomed by a lackluster second half.
After going into halftime tied 34-34, the Trojans were outscored 38-28 in the final 20 minutes. A 9-0 run for Michigan State culminating in two dunks by Carson Cooper put the Spartans in control at the beginning of the second half 49-40, and USC never recovered. A 13-2 run later in the half finished the Trojans ending with a dagger three-pointer from Jaden Akins to make the score 66-51.
In the final minutes, Michigan State missed the front end of three one-and-ones, but the Trojans couldn't turn the misfires into points at the other end.
Four Michigan State players scored in double figures led by Joey Hauser, who scored 17 points. Joshua Morgan put in 14 points for USC, Kobe Johnson added 13 and Drew Peterson scored 11. Boogie Ellis, USC's leading scorer, went 3-for-12 from the floor and scored six points.
In the first half, the Trojans trailed by as many as 11 points but fought back to take a 31-30 lead after Johnson connected on a three-pointer with 1:43 left. Morgan was the hero in the first 20 minutes digging USC out of the hole. He scored 10 first-half points, including four straight buckets at one point.
The defeat means that Ellis and Peterson's college careers are over. After Selection Sunday, USC head coach Andy Enfield told reporters:
"This team is a little unique because with [just] two experienced players, Drew and Boogie, coming into the year, we didn't know what to expect. They improved dramatically and we're proud of them."
Ellis and Peterson deserve credit for leading USC to the NCAA Tournament in what looked like a potential rebuilding year back in November.
After beating USC, Michigan State will play the winner of No. 2 Marquette and No. 15 Vermont in the round of 32 on Sunday.
