Michigan State upsets Virginia to reach Sweet 16
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Guard Travis Trice scored 23 points as seventh-seeded Michigan State led almost the entire way in a 60-54 upset victory over second-seeded Virginia in the NCAA East Regional third round Sunday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Forward Branden Dawson added 15 points for the Spartans, who eliminated Virginia for the second year in a row though this time it came one round earlier.
Michigan State (25-11) meets either third-seeded Oklahoma or 11th-seeded Dayton on Friday night at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
The Spartans are going to the Sweet 16 for the 13th time in 18 years.
Forwards Anthony Gill, who fouled out, and Darion Atkins scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Cavaliers.
Virginia (30-4), which was trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the ninth time and for the second year in a row, was one of the teams identified as most likely to challenge unbeaten Kentucky until a late-season slide during which it lost three of its last five games.
Atlantic Coast Conference teams had gone a collective 9-0 in the tournament before Virginia’s loss.
Virginia began the second half with a couple of buckets and had a chance to go ahead. But after guard Malcolm Brogdon’s missed 3-pointer that would have caused a lead change, the Spartans ran off eight points in a row for a 32-22 edge, capped by Dawson’s three-point play in transition.
Guard Bryn Forbes’ 3-pointer pushed the Spartans to a 37-25 lead. A 9-1 run for Virginia made it close again.
Michigan State forward Denzel Valentine picked up his fourth foul with 5:33 to go, with Virginia within 45-41.
Trice’s biggest basket might have been a 3-pointer with 2:45 left for a 52-44 advantage.
The low-scoring pace was familiar to both teams, which are known for playing stout defense.
Michigan State broke out to a 15-4 lead, buoyed by three Trice 3-pointers and two fast-break baskets. Trice had 13 of those points.
The lead was 23-18 at halftime. Neither team scored in the final 2:49.
Michigan State managed only four points across the last 7 1/2 minutes before halftime.
Aside from Trice, the Spartans shot 4-for-12 from the field in the first half. They also were 2 of 6 on free throws.
Virginia shot 26.7 percent (8-for-30) in the first half.
NOTES: Michigan State won 61-59 against Virginia in last year’s Sweet 16 round. … The Spartans are 5-0 all-time against Virginia. … Virginia G Justin Anderson, who came off the bench in three previous games since returning from a broken finger and appendectomy, was back in the starting lineup Sunday. … Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is 13-1 in round of 32 games. … Virginia coach Tony Bennett was a player on the Wisconsin-Green Bay team that lost 60-58 to Michigan State in the first round of a 1991 NCAA Tournament game.
