SPOKANE, Wash. — The celebration was barely over, and already Michigan State had to start thinking about life in the NCAA tournament without injured Kalin Lucas.
Korie Lucious, filling in for the Spartans’ star guard, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a frenetic finish and give depleted Michigan State an 85-83 victory over Maryland on Sunday in the second round of the Midwest Regional.
After Lucas went down with a leg injury, the Spartans blew a 16-point lead in the second half. Greivis Vasquez’s basket put Maryland ahead 83-82 with 6 seconds left, but Michigan State inbounded immediately and Draymond Green pushed the ball up the floor.
Green passed to Lucious at the top of the key. He dribbled once and launched the game-winner as time expired, setting off a wild celebration as jubilant Spartans players streamed off the bench.
“I had an open look. Time was running down. I just shot it and it went in,” Lucious said. “I didn’t want the time to go out without getting a shot up.”
No. 5 seed Michigan State advanced to play ninth-seeded Northern Iowa on Friday in the regional semifinals in St. Louis. The Panthers pulled off the most stunning upset of the tournament Saturday, beating top-seeded Kansas 69-67.
“I think I’m just going to enjoy this today and I’ll worry about Northern Iowa tomorrow morning,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “This is going to be the 24-hour rule. We’re going to enjoy this.”
If the Spartans are going to go any further, however, they’ll probably have to do it without their floor leader.
Moments after his team’s thrilling victory, Izzo revealed sobering news about Lucas, saying the junior guard likely has a torn Achilles’ tendon. That would make it almost impossible for him to play in the round of 16 — or beyond.
“That poor kid, he was devastated,” Izzo said. “It’s a shame for him. But it’s part of athletics and we’re just going to have to move on.”
Izzo added that the diagnosis was not definite because Lucas had yet to have an X-ray on MRI, “but the prognosis is 85 percent of that.”
A two-time all-Big Ten selection, Lucas got hurt with 2:28 remaining in the first half and did not return. He came back to the bench with 12 1/2 minutes to play wearing a hooded sweat shirt and sweat pants, with a walking boot on his left foot and ankle.
Lucas scored a career-high 25 points in Michigan State’s first-round victory over New Mexico State.
Durrell Summers had 26 points in this one for the Spartans (26-8), who also played without starting guard Chris Allen (foot) for most of the game. Summers responded with by far his best NCAA tournament performance in 11 outings.
Vasquez led the fourth-seeded Terrapins (24-9) with 26 points. He sparked their late comeback by scoring nine of Maryland’s final 11 points in the last two minutes.
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Maryland beaten at buzzer, 85-83
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