Michigan State beats Tennessee, heads back to Final Four

Reporting from St. Louis — 

As familiar as this scene is for Michigan State, it just felt different for the Spartans this year.

The Spartans hoisted injured point guard Kalin Lucas to the basket at the Edward Jones Dome so he could snip a piece of the net. It signified just how high Michigan State has risen this season, beating Tennessee, 70-69, in St. Louis on Sunday to advance to the Final Four for the sixth time in 12 seasons.

“It means a lot about our character,” sophomore Draymond Green said. “That is our goal [to win a national championship]. It’s going to be tough, but I think we can do it if we keep working together.”

That’s been the theme throughout the season for a Michigan State team that Coach Tom Izzo often bemoaned for its lack of chemistry and leadership. But those qualities were on display when the Spartans came together to beat the Volunteers for the right to play Butler in Indianapolis this weekend.

Green, who is part team comedian and part forward, said he had wanted to run the play with the score tied, 69-69, after a timeout but realized that Izzo wouldn’t go for it. He saw Raymar Morgan under the basket waving his hand and lobbed the ball inside, where Morgan drew a foul from Tennessee’s J.P. Prince with 1.8 seconds remaining.

Morgan made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second. Tennessee got the rebound and, after a timeout with 1.6 seconds left, got the ball to Prince for a desperation shot, which missed from half court.

“It was just a heads-up play by Raymar to wave his hands, and I saw him,” Green said, “but if he wouldn’t have waved his hands, I probably would have shot the ball.”

The Volunteers took a 50-45 lead in the second half, but the Spartans went on a 14-1 run, keeping Tennessee without a field goal for more than seven minutes before the Volunteers climbed back into the game.

After Michigan State point guard Korie Lucious missed the front end of a one and one, Tennessee’s Scotty Hopson made one of two free throws, tying the score with 11.2 seconds on the clock.

Prince didn’t think he fouled Morgan on the play that sent Morgan to the line.

“I just think at the end of the game, you let the players win the game,” Prince said. “It’s unfortunate [the official] called it.”

Durrell Summers led the Spartans with 21 points. Morgan and Green contributed 13 points apiece.

The Spartans have endured the loss of two starters from last season’s team, which lost in the national championship game, and have overcome injuries to three starters late in the season.

“It’s been a little bumpier road,” Izzo said.

But it has led to the same place.

sryan@tribune.com