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Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Gordon Hayward scored Butler's only field goal in the final 12-plus minutes and came up with a critical block on Draymond Green in the closing seconds, and the Bulldogs continued their magical run to the 2010 national championship game with a hard-fought 52-50 win over Michigan State at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Butler (33-4), the first team since UCLA in 1972 to play in the Final Four in its hometown, made up for its dreadful 30.6 percent shooting effort by forcing 16 turnovers and outscoring Michigan State, 17-10, at the foul line.
The first Horizon League program to reach the national semis were on top, 50-49, in the final minute when Ronald Nored's contested layup rattled in and out to give the Spartans a chance to go in front.
MSU (28-9), which was playing in its sixth Final Four in 12 years and had won its previous four tourney games by a scant 13 points combined, called timeout after corralling the rebound with 23 seconds to go.
Another narrow win started to fall by the wayside when Hayward challenged Green in the lane and altered his shot, perhaps getting away with a slight brush of Green's arm. Nored picked up the loose ball and was fouled with 6.1 ticks left, hitting both free throws to make it a three-point game.
The Bulldogs fouled Korie Lucious with 2.0 seconds showing, and after making the first, Lucious intentionally missed the second. Hayward soared for the defensive rebound to clinch the game -- the Bulldogs' 25th straight win -- and an unlikely berth to play with Duke or West Virginia for the title on Monday.
Hayward ended with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Shelvin Mack, despite being hindered in the second half with muscle spasms, had 14 points for Butler.
Durrell Summers ended with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Green and Lucious each scored 12 for the Spartans, who were attempting to make it back to the title game for a second consecutive season.
