Michigan State: Valentine’s 3 helps Spartans reach Elite 8
One shot was all Denzel Valentine needed to full like the clutch shooter he has been for Michigan State since he arrived at East Lansing, Michigan two years ago.
The big shot came from long range when the Spartans were up 48-47 with under seven minutes left in the game. His three made it 51-47 and from there, Michigan State kept the momentum on its side for the 62-58 victory and landed another spot in the Elite 8 where the Spartans will face No. 4-seeded Louisville on Sunday.
Valentine and company couldn’t buy a basket in the first half of the Spartans’ Sweet 16 match-up against No. 3-seeded Oklahoma and basically watched the Sooners have their way in the first five minutes, knocking down eight of their first 11 shots. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield had 21 points for a Sooner’s team that hasn’t been to the Elite 8 since the days of glamour dunks from Blake Griffin in 2009.
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Despite huge shots from the Big 12’s Player of the Year, it was Valentine and Michigan State who were victorious in the end. With 6:42 left in the game, Valentine dribbled the ball up the floor in transition and was able to slow himself down enough for a big 3-pointer from the right wing to give his team the 51-47 lead.
In the first half, Valentine missed six of eight shots from the field. Here’s what he had to say after the Spartan’s four-point win.
“The first half, I felt like that was my first time playing basketball,” said Valentine, who finished the game 4-for-11 from 3-point range. “But I just kind of snapped out of it. I was like, “I’m in Sweet 16, and we’ve got a chance to go to the Final 4. I’m a junior, what the heck.’ I just smacked the ground and I woke up I guess.”
Valentine’s teammate, Travis Trice, who had a game-high 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting, felt the team needed a spark on offense to bridge the gap between them and the Sooners.
“The stakes were high and if he misses that shot, we might not be here right now,” Trice said.
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Valentine’s services were much-needed since forward Branden Dawson scored only six points on 3-of-7 shooting, but his 11 rebounds were key in helping Michigan State throw jabs at its opponent. The Spartans have won 11 of their last 14 and are headed to their second-consecutive Elite 8 and fourth since 2009.
After the conclusion of Friday night’s March Madness action, Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo is now 9-4 all-time in the Sweet 16 and despite what has been said about his team prior to the Big 12 Tournament, he’s excited about having the chance to suit up for another big game.
“I get to work another day. I can’t tell you how excited that makes me,” Izzo said. “I’m just tickled to death to still be playing.
Next: Updated 2015 NCAA Tournament Bracket: On to the Elite Eight