DENVER -- The fifth-seeded Michigan State Spartans did several things less than well in their 65-54 South Region second-round game against fourth-seeded Pittsburgh. They turned the ball over 15 times. They blocked a mere three shots. They allowed the comparatively undersized Panthers to set up shop inside, which sparked a momentum-changing 12-2 Pitt run midway through the second half.
In the end, though, the Spartans did one thing that the Panthers didn't: get the ball into the basket with some degree of regularity. In a clash devoid of oh-my-goodness individual performances, Michigan State shot 48 percent to Pitt's 33 percent, eventually pulling away in a game best appreciated by aficionados of sweaty, blue-collar hoops. It wasn't pretty.
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| Ronald Ramon goes 1-for-9 from the field and Pitt shoots 33 percent as a team. (AP) |
Despite the athleticism of both squads, the contest played more like a clash between two grinders. Pitt applied more pressure, blocking nine shots and notching eight steals. Michigan State dominated the defensive boards, 27 rebounds to 17. Both teams were transcendent from the line, collectively hitting 27 of their 28 free throws.
On Friday, Izzo had indirectly questioned his team's toughness, saying just enough to put the Spartans on notice but nothing that could be taken as a straightforward challenge. His players got the message.
"There have been questions this year about the toughness of this team, how physical we can be," said senior guard Drew Neitzel. "We did a great job of matching (Pitt's) physical play. We stayed aggressive. We didn't back down."
It didn't hurt that Neitzel's here-today-gone-tomorrow offense materialized when his team needed it most. After an erratic 2-of-11 from the field against Temple in the first round, Neitzel found a degree of consistency against the Panthers. Despite a cold stretch at the start of the second half, he finished with 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He hit 5-of-8 from three-point range, including a crucial pair at 6:27 and 5:03 of the second half. Those shots seemed to reestablish his swagger; Neitzel followed them by burying a jumper from just inside the arc with 4:18 remaining.
"I love the fact that he took those three shots," Izzo beamed.
Asked about the 3-pointer he sank from in front of the Michigan State bench after he'd gone cold, Neitzel said simply, "I just stepped in and knocked it down. Throughout the year, I've gone through some ups and downs as far as my shooting. ... No matter if I miss five, 10 shots in a row, what I've got to do is keep shooting."
Far be it from Izzo to disagree: "He's our guy. He's the guy we have to have making shots."
The Spartans received a similar lift from shifty guard Kalin Lucas (19 points on 8-of-14 shooting), who sliced through the Pittsburgh defense for most of the few easy baskets that Michigan State netted.
"When I went coast-to-coast, my coach just told me that when I (got) the ball to push it, so that's what I did," he said matter-of-factly.
Pitt could've used a similar spark. While Levance Fields scored 19 points before seemingly reinjuring his left ankle late in the game -- he later claimed he was fine -- Sam Young (4-of-12 from the field) and Ronald Ramon (1-of-9) launched shots recklessly. Coach Jamie Dixon disagreed with that assessment -- "I thought we took good shots throughout" -- but ultimately the numbers spoke for themselves.
"(It) felt like a lot of the shots we normally make, we missed tonight," Young shrugged. "The shots that we were able to get good looks at, we didn't knock them down."
In the end, as simplistic as it sounds, one team was just a little better than the other.
"I know these guys and everyday what they gave and our concentration, our commitment the last couple of weeks," Young said plainly. "We knew everything (Michigan State) was going to do. We were prepared. ... This is a loss that will hurt because I think we could have played better."
