Michigan State basketball may have just clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans upset Purdue in an extremely exciting battle that concluded with a game-winning three-pointer from Tyson Walker. The game was tied at 65-65 with Michigan State holding for the final shot — which Walker drained with 1.1 seconds left to power the Spartans to the massive win.
Tyson Walker just hit the biggest shot of his life. 😱 pic.twitter.com/jlV4C1LR8u
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 26, 2022
Michigan State had been struggling as of late, dropping three straight and five of their past six. However, Saturday’s upset win over the highly ranked Boilermakers should lock up a bid in the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans came out firing early on, and led for most of the game. Michigan State carried a 35-33 lead into halftime, and built up an 11-point lead in the second half. Purdue never went away though, and was able to get the game tied up in the final minute of the game. From there, Walker came through to lead Michigan State to the win.
Michigan State was led offensively by four Spartans in double figures of scoring — Gabe Brown (13 points), Julius Marble (12 points), Max Christie (11 points) and AJ Hoggard (11 points). Walker finished with eight points.
The win over Purdue moves Michigan State to 19-9 on the season and 10-7 in conference play. This is a signature win, and arguably the Spartans best victory of the season.
Michigan State will wrap up the regular season next week, with three more games left on the slate. First up is a road trip to rival Michigan on Tuesday. Tipoff from the Crisler Center is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on Fox Sports 1.
