In a game that had the feel of an NCAA Tournament regional final or semifinal, Kansas took advantage of some cold shooting by Michigan State in the second half to pull out a 61-56 win in the championship game of the Orlando Classic.
Kansas vs. Michigan State final score: Jayhawks take down Spartans in Orlando Classic final
Twelve days after both teams were handed double-digit losses in the Champions Classic, Kansas defeated Michigan State in a highly competitive Orlando Classic championship game.
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Both fan bases were well-represented in Orlando, which led to a highly entertaining atmosphere for the battle between the two top-20 perennial powerhouses. The game also came just days after each team was dealt a double-digit loss in the Champions Classic, which also featured top-five teams Kentucky and Duke.
Michigan State took a 36-35 lead into the halftime break, but connected on just one of its first 11 field goal attempts to start the second half. Kansas took advantage by starting the second 20 minutes on a 9-2 run to build a lead it would not let go of.
Jayhawks forward Perry Ellis entered Sunday averaging 20 points and nine rebounds in the tournament so far, and led KU with 17 points and nine rebounds in the championship game. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
Bill Self’s team was also helped immensely in the title game by the play of sophomore guard Frank Mason III, who notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, the Jayhawks outrebounded Michigan State, 44-36.
Despite their second half shooting woes, the Spartans were able to pull within three after Travis Trice's three-pointer with 1:36 left to play. MSU star Branden Dawson, who finished the game just 4-for-15 from the field, missed a layup on Michigan State's next possession, and the Spartans did not score again.
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