Michigan State’s players have developed a unique way to dominate the NCAA tournament.
Fall behind at halftime. Chew each other out in the dressing room. Blow the other team halfway back to campus.
In the second round, the Midwest Regional’s top seed tested the strategy against eighth-seeded Utah, overcoming a six-point second-half deficit to win going away.
But the Spartans outdid themselves Thursday night in the Midwest semifinal. They spotted fourth-seeded Syracuse a 14-point lead with 18 minutes to play, then ran away to a 75-58 victory in front of 21,214 fans in The Palace of Auburn Hills.
“We’ve got to come out better in the first half,” said Michigan State senior Mateen Cleaves, whose team is one victory away from a second consecutive Final Four appearance. “I’m tired of these halftime speeches.”
Against the Utes, coach Tom Izzo ripped the Spartans at intermission. It was Cleaves’ turn Thursday night. With a raft of friends and family watching, Cleaves saw his college career draining away.
Down 34-24 at intermission, the Spartans appeared timid in the face of Syracuse’s zone defense. Cleaves was 0-for-6 from the floor and Morris Peterson had only one basket.
“They were beating us in every way we can be beaten,” Izzo said.
Cleaves was finishing his tirade when Izzo reached the dressing room at intermission.
“I don’t mind if you miss shots,” Cleaves said. “I don’t mind if things aren’t going right. But if you aren’t playing hard, I’m going to get in your face.”
Peterson said his friend’s emotional outburst shocked the Spartans. “I think that challenge opened some eyes up,” he said.
The Spartans still trailed 49-38 with 15 minutes left when Peterson put his muscular arms around the game and ripped it away from Syracuse. He hit a three-pointer from the left corner and another from the left wing. Peterson knocked down a couple of free throws, then sliced down the baseline for a jam. He added another three-pointer from the left side.
“After I hit one, I said to Mateen, `Keep giving me the ball; I feel like I’m hot,'” said Peterson, who finished with 21 points.
Peterson wasn’t the only smoking Spartan. MSU shot 68 percent from the floor (17 for 25) after intermission. All five starters scored in double figures.
A few numbers from the Spartans’ second-half blitz:
– They outscored Syracuse 49-18 in the last 18 minutes and closed the game on a 17-0 run.
– State scored 51 points in 20 minutes against a team that limits opponents to 57.5 per game.
– Syracuse reserve Preston Shumpert outscored Peterson and Cleaves 6-5 in the first half. Peterson and Cleaves outscored Syracuse 26-24 after halftime.
“We made a couple of shots and it seemed like the roof caved in,” Izzo said.
When the carnage ended, Cleaves leaped into Peterson’s arms and pumped his fist at the Spartans’ roaring followers. Someone asked Cleaves if he had ever feared that his glorious career was about to end.
Cleaves’ first answer was “No.” But then he said, “Yeah, it was fear. If we would have lost, this would have been our last 20 minutes. You’re a senior, there’s a sense of urgency. We want to keep this train rolling.”
