Michigan State vs. Oklahoma 2015 results: 3 things we learned from the Spartans’ grinding win
It wasn’t pretty in Syracuse. But Tom Izzo’s team got yet another win in March.
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State’s never really been much for pretty wins. But the Spartans and Tom Izzo don’t care how they win, as long as they do — and they got another win in a Friday Sweet Sixteen matchup with Oklahoma, 62-58.
The Spartans didn't lead until the final 10 minutes of the game, but held the greater share of control from that point onward, with a Travis Trice three giving them a five-point lead with just over five minutes to play, then re-establishing that margin with two free throws with just over a minute to play.
But Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield sank a three only seconds later, whittling the Michigan State advantage to two points, and the two teams traded baskets from there, with the Sooners forcing Trice to the line up two with 14 seconds to play.
Trice made both free throws on that trip, giving him 24 points for the game. Hield missed a contested three on the next possession. And Michigan State corralled the game’s final rebound, closing the book on the Spartans’ ninth Sweet Sixteen victory under Izzo.
Here are three things we learned from Michigan State’s win:
1. In a grinding game, threes made a major difference
Neither team was able to get consistent offense going in this game, with Trice and Hield seemingly serving as the only reliable creators for each side.
But Michigan State made nine threes, with both Trice and Denzel Valentine (18 points) canning four each. Oklahoma made four total, with Hield throwing in three of the Sooners' four triples.
That extra 15 points from behind the arc certainly helped.
2. The charity stripe was a double-edged sword for Sparty
Michigan State took as long as it did to take the lead at least in part because of early futility from the free throw line: The Spartans made just three of their first 10 free throws.
Down the stretch, though, Michigan State did just what was needed, with Trice and Valentine (of course) making all six of their free throws in the final 1:19 of play. Despite staying in the game, Oklahoma never had the ball with a chance to tie in the final two minutes.
3. In the end, a defensive rebound was the crucial play
Both teams did excellent work on the offensive glass all night, with Michigan State grabbing 15 offensive boards and Oklahoma snagging 14 of its own. Three of the last four possessions featured an offensive rebound that allowed for the trip to be successful.
On the game’s final possession, when Oklahoma needed one more board, Michigan State’s Melvin Clark, Jr. was the man to track it down. And that late play finished off the Sooners.
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