This will go down as another disappointing loss in a disappointing season for Michigan State basketball, but the Spartans 85-76 loss to Duke in the Round of 32 on Sunday was an excellent game that served as a fitting conclusion to the long-term rivalry between Coach K and Tom Izzo.
This was a game that was much closer than the final score would lead you to believe, and the Spartans actually held the lead near the final minute before Duke completely swung the game in just a few minutes.
For MSU, Gabe Brown led the way with 18 points. Marcus Bingham had a tremendous game with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks and 2 steals. Tyson Walker added 13 second half points.
This is one where Michigan State shouldn’t hang their head. Unlike games earlier in the season, they didn’t turn the ball over like crazy, they played strong defense, but Duke’s immense talent was just able to swing the game in the final minutes to pull it out. If this game was the Spartans report card from an inconsistent season, they should at least be proud of their effort.
