Michigan State’s Peterson Plays Big Role With a Heavy Heart

An emotional week for Michigan State forward Morris Peterson took him from Michigan to Mississippi and finally to Indiana, where he rejoined teammates Friday after the death of his grandmother and led them to victory Saturday.

Clara Mae Spencer, 72, died a week earlier. Peterson was told after Michigan State beat Iowa State in the Midwest Regional final last Saturday in Auburn Hills, about 80 miles from campus. He attended the funeral in Picayune, Miss., and arrived here Friday, a day after the rest of the Spartans.

Peterson missed four of five shots in the first half Saturday as Michigan State led Wisconsin by just two points. However, in the second half, Peterson had 16 points on six-of-10 shooting, including a pair of three-point baskets, in the 53-41 victory that sent the Spartans to the championship game against Florida.

“I went down to the funeral, spent some time with my family,” Peterson said. “They just told me to go out, have a great game and just play hard. I’ve got to give credit to my teammates because when I got back, they came to me with open arms and really made me feel good.

“I just wanted to come out and play hard for her. I think we wanted to win it all for her.”

Said teammate and close friend Mateen Cleaves: “He’s done a great job of dealing with it. A lot of people asked me how he would play dealing with his grandmother’s death. People can see how he played. I think she was out there with him. She carried some of those shots for him. He didn’t put that [death] behind him. But he didn’t let it distract him. He stepped it up, had a great game for us, and that’s why we won.”

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Some bad statistics from Wisconsin-Michigan State:

* The 36 first-half points scored by the teams were the sixth fewest in Final Four history and the fourth-fewest for a national semifinal game.

* Michigan State made only two of 14 three-point shots for the second-lowest percentage (14.3%) in a national semifinal game. Only North Carolina’s three-for-23 effort (13%) in 1998 against Utah was worse.

* Michigan State’s 19 first-half points were the fewest it scored this season.

* Wisconsin’s 41 points were the fewest since Kentucky scored 40 in a 1984 national semifinal loss to Georgetown and the fewest in a Final Four in the shot clock era.

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Cleaves had a lousy game statistically, making only one of seven shots, with one assist and four turnovers. Nine of his 11 points came on free throws.

Even though Michigan State won all four games against Wisconsin this year, the senior Cleaves is happy to have played his last game against the Badgers.

“Last time, you know, I was hugging all the guys at the Big Ten Tournament, because I didn’t think I’d play them again,” Cleaves said. “Now I know I won’t play them again. That’s a good thing, you know, because they play hard. They come out and they just never give up. They’re going to stay in your face, bump you, they’re very aggressive. Right now I’m just happy I won’t have to face them again. Ever.”

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Before the game, everyone figured the key matchup would be Wisconsin defensive ace Mike Kelley on Peterson. But when Kelley picked up two quick fouls in the first half, the Badgers had to switch their defense and Peterson ended up with 20 points.

The key matchup turned out to be be Michigan State guard Charlie Bell on Wisconsin’s Jon Bryant.

Bryant entered the game as one of the tournament’s top shooters. He had made 18 of 36 three-point shots and average 16 points. But Bell, with help from others, held Bryant to two points. He missed all three of his three-point shots.