Michigan State is still undefeated in conference play thanks to a buzzer beater bucket from Joey Hauser.
The Spartans topped Minnesota, 71-69, on Wednesday night in a thrilling back-and-forth conference battle that ended on a Hauser buzzer beater. With just 0.1 seconds left on the clock, Hauser dropped a contested shot in the paint to lift the Spartans to victory. Hauser finished the game with eight points, with his final two being the most critical.
FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/tzJipYXCGr
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) January 13, 2022
With the win the Spartans improve to 14-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play. Michigan State also completed the season sweep of Minnesota with Wednesday’s victory.
Michigan State appeared prime for a nice blowout win over the Golden Gophers with the control for most of the first half. The Spartans led by as many as 10 points in the opening frame, but Minnesota finished the half on a run that cut Michigan State’s lead to just 34-31 at the break.
The second half was a lot closer than the opening half, with neither team having more than a six-point lead in the half. The game was tied up late on a pair of free throws from Minnesota’s E.J. Stephens. However, there would be no overtime thanks to the buzzer beater from Hauser.
The Spartans were led in scoring by Max Christie (16 points), Gabe Brown (13 points) and Tyson Walker (10 points). Michigan State shot 51.9 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Michigan State returns to the court on Saturday in a home matchup against Northwestern. Tip off from the Breslin Center is scheduled for 12 p.m. EST and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
