CRAWFORD | Louisville kept chasing, but Michigan State kept control in 77-69 NCAA win | Sports

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WDRB) — Louisville spent most of Saturday afternoon within reach.

Close enough to feel the game. Close enough to make you wonder.

Never quite close enough to take it.

Michigan State controlled the game for long stretches, building an early cushion and answering each Louisville push on the way to a 77-69 victory in the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. 

The loss ends Louisville’s season at 24-11.

The Cardinals trailed for more than 35 minutes and never fully flipped the rhythm of the game. They got within a possession multiple times in the second half, trimming a deficit that once reached double digits, but each time the Spartans had an answer.

That pattern defined the afternoon.

When Louisville cut it to 44-40 on an Isaac McKneely three, Michigan State responded. When the Cardinals pulled within 50-47 on an Aly Khalifa three, the Spartans answered again, stretching the lead with a composed possession and another perimeter shot.

And when Louisville made its most serious push — closing to 55-50 with just over eight minutes to play — Michigan State delivered the decisive stretch.

A basket from Coen Carr, a pair of free throws, and a three-pointer from Jaxon Kohler after a key flagrant foul on Louisville’s Vitalis Zougris turned a five-point game into a 13-point margin in just over a minute. 

Louisville never got closer than six again.

Ryan Conwell led Louisville with 21 points, hitting five three-pointers, while Adrian Wooley added 17 on 7-of-10 shooting. McKneely finished with nine, including a late three that briefly trimmed the margin to 10 in the final minute.

But the Cardinals struggled to generate consistent offense early and finished at 41.3 percent from the field, digging a hole that proved difficult to escape.

Michigan State, meanwhile, was steadier throughout.

The Spartans shot 47.3 percent overall and 42.3 percent from three-point range, building much of their advantage in the first half, when they went 7-for-14 from beyond the arc.

Carr led Michigan State with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Jeremy Fears Jr. controlled the game with 16 assists, repeatedly creating clean looks and timely responses.

Louisville never unraveled. The Cardinals forced turnovers, created second chances, and made enough plays to keep pressure on the game into the final minutes.

But they never quite flipped it.

They spent the afternoon chasing. Michigan State spent it answering.

And in the NCAA Tournament, that difference tends to hold.

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