With their pride on the line, Northwestern came within a heartbeat of scoring one of the biggest upset victories in the school’s 94-year basketball history Friday afternoon in the United Center.
Because guard Mateen Cleaves and forward Antonio Smith made clutch plays in the final 38 seconds, second-ranked Michigan State escaped with a 61-59 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament.
“They took it to us instead of us taking it to them,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “They deserved to win the game and we won the game.”
Cleaves scored the game-winner when he came off screens, drove across the lane and put up an off-balance shot with 37.1 seconds to play.
“I was thinking about getting the ball on the rim and hoping it would go in,” Cleaves said.
Then, the Spartans (27-4) had to make the basketball equivalent of a goal-line stand.
Unable to work the ball inside to center Evan Eschmeyer, who scored a season-high 30 points, Northwestern freshman point guard David Newman penetrated from the left side with 3 seconds to play and launched a shot the 6-feet-8-inch Smith rejected.
The ball came back to Northwestern freshman Steve Lepore beyond the three-point line but Lepore’s desperation shot richocheted off the rim.
“We were playing for a tie and our first preference was to get the ball inside,” Wildcats coach Kevin O’Neill said. “When we couldn’t, David drove. Steve probably had an extra second to square up and get a little better look but at that point you just get the shot off.
“We played hard and we played well (in the tourney). I think it will give us a boost going into the NIT.
“The only thing I feel bad about is we threw away a chance to have Evan end his college career in the NCAA tournament. He has meant more to our program in the last two years than any player has ever meant to any program.”
Facing single coverage most of the game–a rare luxury for Eschmeyer–the All-Big Ten center hit 11 of 16 shots and all eight free-throw attempts.
“We tried to guard Eschmeyer and he was better than us,” Izzo said. “In Kevin’s system, every time down the floor (Eschmeyer) has to touch the ball and he’s like a point-center. He’s a great passer and he dumps it off to other guys when you double on him. We didn’t pressure the ball enough on the perimeter until the last few minutes.”
The resilient Wildcats (15-13) trailed by eight points in the first half and by six in the second. But with less than three minutes to play they were leading 59-56 after Eschmeyer and Newman steals led to back-to-back Eschmeyer baskets.
The Spartans tied the score on Morris Peterson’s three-point shot with 1:53 remaining.
On the next possession Lepore missed a desperation shot with the shot clock about to expire. The Spartans snatched the rebound, got the ball to Cleaves and the two-time conference most valuable player did what Izzo expected.
“I have confidence that he will do the things to get the ball in the basket,” Izzo said.
