By MATT CHARBONEAU
The Detroit News
Feb. 23, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS -- On Tuesday night at Williams Arena, Michigan State was staring at an eight-point deficit with less than five minutes to play.
Their season was on the brink and it appeared the Spartans had run out of steam, succumbing to a 16-2 run at the hands of Minnesota after leading by six points with 12 minutes to play.
But a quick six-point spurt, sparked by Durrell Summers' only 3-pointer of the game, got Michigan State back into the game, and when Minnesota led 48-46 with 2:21 to play, it set the stage for the Spartans' youngest player to make a name for himself.
Keith Appling hit four straight free throws in the final 1:22, and Michigan State overcame a nine-point deficit in the final 4:31 to beat Minnesota, 53-48.
Appling hadn't played well for much of the game, but when it counted most, he was up to the task. The freshman from Detroit Pershing hit both ends of a one-and-one, the first to tie the score at 48, the next two to give the Spartans a 50-48 lead they never relinquished.
"I was kind of struggling throughout the whole game," said Appling, who had four turnovers and finished with six points. "I just wanted to step up to the free-throw line, knock those down for my team, get the win and get out of here."
For Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, it just showed what type of player the young guard can be.
"It was big because at halftime I said I'd never seen (Appling) play that bad," Izzo said. "He was missing shots, but he wasn't even guarding like he normally does and was turning the ball over. I guess that shows the kid has got a little courage because he stepped up and hit those big throws, and he's a good free-throw shooter."
Michigan State (16-11, 8-7 Big Ten) outscored Minnesota 14-1 in the final 4:31. It is the first time the Spartans have won back-to-back games since beating Wisconsin and Northwestern in January.
Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 18 points while Draymond Green and Summers had seven each.
"To win a game like this in a tough place to play is a gutty performance," Izzo said. "We weren't great and I don't have any illusions of grandeur, but we found a way to win and I think teams have got to do that, especially this time of year."
While the 3-pointer by Summers was huge -- he still struggled, going 3-for-11 from the field -- it was as much the unheralded play of Delvon Roe that kept the final surge alive.
With the score tied at 48 in the final minute, Roe twice batted rebounds to a teammate to keep the possession alive. First he tipped an air ball in the lane by Lucas out to Green, who fired a 3-pointer from the top of the key. When that shot missed, Roe tapped the loose ball to Appling, who was fouled and made two free throws to put the Spartans ahead.
After Chip Armelin missed a 3-pointer for the Gophers, Mike Kebler iced the game with two free throws before Green added one more to complete the scoring.
"Delvon hardly does anything stat-wise but he makes plays," Izzo said. "Every guy gave us something and every guy, except the main two (Lucas and Green) had some breakdowns, too."
The victory puts Michigan State of sole possession of fourth place in the Big Ten with Sunday's showdown with Purdue next.
"I feel like it was a team effort," said Lucas, who played nearly 40 minutes for the second straight game. "It was not just one person. Day-Day (Green) stepped up, Durrell stepped up when he came in. Everybody contributed. This was definitely a great road win for us, and we've got to just keep moving forward and keep taking it one game at a time."
Trevor Mbakwe had 13 for Minnesota (17-10, 6-9) while Armelin had 12 and Ralph Sampson III had 10.
It was an ugly first half as Minnesota opened a 21-19 lead on Michigan State behind six points from Sampson.
Lucas scored nine to lead the Spartans, but each team struggled from the field, making only eight of 24 attempts. Michigan State was 3-for-13 on 3-point attempts while Minnesota was 1-for-2. Minnesota's biggest lead was 19-12 with 5:07 to play before Michigan State closed the half on a 7-2 run.
Michigan State shot much better in the second half and finished 18-for-49, though Izzo wasn't happy his team settled for 24 3-point attempts.
