INDIANAPOLIS - Michigan State broke the will of the Louisville Cardinals with solid ball-handling, deadly second-half shooting and a steely determination to make it to another Final Four enroute to a double-digit 64-52 win over the #1 seed.
Once again it was Goran Suton with 19 points and 10 rebounds leading the way for the Spartans but it was Durrell Summers who broke open the game going on a personal 6-1 run with a slam dunk and back to back jumpers to expand the lead to nine points.
The Cardinals went cold and MSU expanded the lead to eleven when senior Travis Walton made a 12-footer with 8:46 remaining. The Spartans really turned up the defensive intensity and Louisville began to wilt. A Samardo Samuels turnover, two Terrence Williams misses and the Cardinals went over five minutes without a basket.
The lead got as big as 17 with 2:52 left and MSU pulled everyone and Austin Thornton and Jon Crandell got in the game late to finish it off for Michigan State.
The win allows Michigan State (30-6) to repeat their promise to incoming recruits - "if you stay four years, you will get to a Final Four". Every four year Michigan State player under Tom Izzo has appeared in a Final Four.
This time they'll do it in Detroit at Ford Field. Could this magical run end in a National Championship for Tom Izzo and the Spartans? They're in the dance, and not quite ready to end their run just yet.
Video by Sean Scherer
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