Marquette got off to a good start Sunday with a steal after the opening end that led to a 2-0 lead.
But No. 7 seed Michigan State responded with an 11-0 run and stormed back several Golden Eagles in a 69-60 win to upset No. 2 Marquette and advance to the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles became the fourth top two seed. to fall behind the Sweet 16, joining #1 Purdue, Kansas and #2 Arizona with early exits.
With the win, Tom Izzo’s Spartans advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since their 2019 trip to the Final Four. For Marquette, the loss spells more postseason disappointment for head coach Shaka Smart, who hasn’t led a team to a second NCAA Championship weekend since the Final Four with VCU in 2011.
Smart has since built winners in Texas and now Marquette. But he hasn’t coached an NCAA championship win in six seasons in Austin and seen the Longhorns lose in the first round on each of their three NCAA trips. Marquette lost in the second round as the No. 9 seed in 2022, Smart’s first season as a head coach.
Meanwhile, Marquette has not advanced to a second tournament weekend since the 2013 trip to the Elite Eight under head coach Buzz Williams.
The Spartans won despite the stark efforts from behind the arc. The Michigan State team shot 39.4% 3 points for the season, and only shot 2-of-16 (12.5%) from distance on Sunday. She found her edge on the inside and off the free-throw bar, connecting on 19 of 22 attempts.
The Spartans also repeatedly upset Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kulick. Marquette point guard finished with seven points, five assists, and six turnovers while shooting 2-of-7 from the field. The Golden Eagles shot well from distance, connecting on 11 of their 27 (40.7%) attempts from outside the arc. But Buckets inside wasn’t easy against a solid Spartans defense that kept Marquette to 38.5% shooting from the field overall.
Michigan State threatened to run out of the game early and drove by as many as 13 in the first half. But Marquette finished the half with a score of 13-6 to cut their deficit to five, then took a 39-36 lead early in the second half thanks to an 11-3 series that included three three-pointers.
Michigan State responded by holding Marquette scoreless for five minutes. He took the lead back for good at 44-42 with 8:48 remaining and closed out the game with a 13-5 lead to blow out what was a one-point game at the 3:36 mark.
Senior guard Tyson Walker led the Spartans effort with 23 points. Joey Hauser, a sophomore who transferred from Marquette after his freshman year in 2019, posted 14 points and 10 rebounds against his former team.
Olivier Maxence-Prosper led three Golden Eagles in double figures with 16 points, along with four rebounds. Michigan State is advancing to face Kansas State, who beat Kentucky earlier Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.
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