Jayhawks Fall to Spartans 67-62

March 27, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS - Despite a game-high 20 points from junior Sherron Collins and sophomore Cole Aldrich's third straight double-double, the No. 3-seeded Kansas men's basketball team was defeated by Michigan State, 67-62, in the final seconds of the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 here Friday night.

KU ends its season 27-8 overall. MSU improved to 29-6 and will advance to the Elite 8 on Sunday.

Aldrich recorded his 21st double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Freshman Tyshawn Taylor added eight points for the Jayhawks.

With 6:17 remaining in the contest, Michigan State took a two-point lead at 53-51, its biggest lead of the game up until that point. Thirty seconds later Aldrich hit a jumper in the paint to knot the score and KU sophomore Tyrel Reed used one of his timely three-pointers to put KU up 56-53 with just under five minutes left to play. Collins added a layup to give the Jayhawks a five-point cushion.

The Spartans responded with five straight points to even the score once again at 60-60 with 1:31 left in the game.

With time expiring, MSU's Kalin Lucas shot a pull-up jumper in the lane and was fouled on the shot. Lucas hit his free throw to convert the three-point play and push the Spartans ahead 63-60 with 34 seconds on the clock.

Taylor hit a pair of free throws to keep KU within one, Kansas' only points in the last three and half minutes, but the Jayhawks were forced to foul in the final 30 seconds of the game and Michigan State went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in that time to seal the win.

After opening the game with a 50 percent shooting percentage in the first half, KU hit just nine shots in the last 20 minutes. Kansas still managed to out-shoot the Spartans with a 45.3 percent shooting percentage for the game, while MSU made 39 percent.

Michigan State held a one-point lead on just two occasions in the first half, while KU held the upper hand for the remainder of the time. In the final four minutes Kansas extended its lead to double digits, including a high of 13 points with 3:27 remaining before intermission. A series of Jayhawk turnovers in the final three minutes however allowed Michigan State to edge back within seven points. A last minute shot at the buzzer by Suton put the score at 36-29 heading into the locker rooms.

Suton led the Spartans with a season-high 20 points in the contest.

Kansas ended its season winning its fifth straight Big 12 regular-season championship and advancing to its third straight and 26th overall NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

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