As gut-punches go, this proved by far the cruelest of the three.
Michigan-Michigan State III wound up like the first two, the Spartans celebrating, the Wolverines with their heads in their hands. But this one will linger.
MSU’s 65-60 heist at the United Center saw the Wolverines lead by 13 at one point. They led by eight at the half. They were up five with 2:03 to play in the game, seemingly on the brink of a third straight Big Ten Tournament championship.
Then it all melted away.
MSU’s Cassius Winston forced home a driving layup to give the Spartans their initial second-half lead with 28 seconds left, even though 7-1 junior center Jon Teske appeared to get a hand on it. Excruciating seconds later, Winston tried to foul sophomore guard Jordan Poole with Michigan down three and desperate.
Poole floated one into the air, well short, thinking he’d step to the line for the potential game-tying free throws.
“Yes. He did [think that],” sophomore forward Isaia h Livers said. “I was cutting to the basket, but I thought they were going to foul, because they had fouls to give. You’ve got Jordan Poole with the ball, late in the game, you’re not going to let him get up a three or a two. It looked like he was fouled. I don’t know what happened.”
