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Michigan State returns to Final Four - again
Posted: 03.28.2010 at 4:51 PM
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Spartans edge out Tennessee 70-69
ST. LOUIS, MO (AP) -- Don't bet against Tom Izzo and Michigan State this time of year.
Raymar Morgan made a free throw with less than two seconds left to give Michigan State a 70-69 victory over Tennessee on Sunday and send the Spartans back to the Final Four for a second straight year and its sixth Final Four in 12 years.
J.P. Prince had one last chance for sixth-seeded Tennessee, but he fumbled the ball at halfcourt and his long shot at the buzzer never came close.
Durrell Summers had 21 points to lead the fifth-seeded Spartans, who are on their way to their sixth Final Four in 12 years, best of any school in the country.
Morgan and Draymond Green each had 13 to help make up for the absence of injured star Kalin Lucas.
Wayne Chism, in his final game for Tennessee, scored 13. Prince, also a senior, had 12.
No team in the country - not North Carolina, not Kentucky, not UCLA - has done it better during that span. And all six trips have come under Izzo, the hard-nosed coach who preaches defense, rebounding and physical play.
"I like it more than I used to," Izzo said of playing in March. "It's even better than I thought."
Oh, and how's this for some symmetry? This happens to be the 10th anniversary of the "Flintstones," the team that gave Michigan State its second national title. Highlights from that run were included in the video montage of past championships that played on the Edward Jones Dome's massive Jumbotron during halftime.
The fifth-seeded Spartans, last year's national runner-up, will be looking for championship No. 3 next weekend in Indianapolis. They play Butler, also a No. 5 seed and sure to be the hometown favorite, in the semifinals Saturday night.
| Tennessee Volunteers |
| STARTERS | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| W. Chism, F | 33 | 5-9 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| S. Hopson, G | 33 | 3-7 | 3-6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| B. Williams, C | 33 | 5-8 | 1-4 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| J. Prince, G | 28 | 5-5 | 2-2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| B. Maze, G | 22 | 3-9 | 2-2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
| BENCH | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| M. Goins, G | 17 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| C. Tatum, G-F | 12 | 1-2 | 4-5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| S. Pearl, F | 11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| J. Bone, G | 8 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| K. Hall, F | 3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q. Cannington, G | Did Not Play |
| M. Hubert, G | Did Not Play |
| S. McBee, G | Did Not Play |
| E. Negedu, F | Did Not Play |
| T. Smith, F | Did Not Play |
| R. Woolridge, G-F | Did Not Play |
| Totals | | 24-47 | 14-21 | 24 | 11 | 15 | 69 |
| | 51.1% | 66.7% | |
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| Michigan State Spartans |
| STARTERS | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| K. Lucious, G | 35 | 2-9 | 3-4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| R. Morgan, F | 35 | 4-11 | 5-6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| D. Summers, G | 29 | 8-10 | 1-1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| D. Roe, F | 20 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| D. Nix, C | 13 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| BENCH | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| C. Allen, G | 29 | 2-6 | 3-5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| D. Green, F | 26 | 5-10 | 3-3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| M. Kebler, G | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A. Thornton, G | 5 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| G. Sherman, C | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| I. Dahlman, G | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Crandell, F | Did Not Play |
| T. Herzog, C | Did Not Play |
| A. Ianni, C | Did Not Play |
| K. Lucas, G | Did Not Play |
| D. Sims, F | Did Not Play |
| Totals | | 24-52 | 16-21 | 24 | 12 | 20 | 70 |
| | 46.2% | 76.2% | |
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