Michigan State University
Minnesota
Spartans Rally At Minnesota; Win Overtime Thriller
1/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2004
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Paul Davis was still a little woozy after hitting his game-winning free throws against Minnesota on Wednesday night.
And not from all the joy.
A few minutes before Davis' shots gave Michigan State the 79-78 win, he took a nasty spill and banged his head against the floor.
"I still don't know what's going on," Davis said. "I just know that we won."
Davis' free throws with 5.2 seconds to go in overtime capped an incredible rally -- the Spartans trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half. It was easily Michigan State's biggest come-from-behind win this year.
"This feels good, especially coming from way down," Alan Anderson said. "We played like Spartans today."
Davis scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and overtime to lead the Spartans, who handed the Gophers their sixth straight Big Ten loss.
"(Minnesota) outplayed us for two-thirds of the game, but give our team credit," coach Tom Izzo said. "I felt that was Paul Davis' best game of the year."
Anderson and Chris Hill each had 16 points for the Spartans (9-8, 4-2 Big Ten), who recovered from a horrible shooting performance in the first half and shot 63 percent in the second.
Kris Humphries led Minnesota with 28 points. Adam Boone had 16.
"That was probably the most gut-wrenching loss I've ever experienced," said Minnesota's Michael Bauer, who set a school record with his 174th career 3-pointer.
But it was a Michigan State 3-pointer by Maurice Ager that sent the game to overtime at the end of regulation.
Boone had just made two free throws to give the Gophers a 69-66 lead with 14.1 seconds to go.
Hill missed a jumper on Michigan State's ensuing possession, but the Spartans got the offensive rebound and the Gophers (8-10, 0-6) fouled with 2.8 seconds left, setting up Ager's buzzer-beater that sent the Spartans rushing onto the court.
"We knew we had to tip it out and Moe came through," Davis said.
Boone made another impressive play in overtime, throwing up a high, arcing shot as the shot clock expired that gave Minnesota a 76-73 lead with 2:11 to go.
But Davis converted a three-point play on the Spartan's next possession to tie the game.
After Anderson went 1 of 2 from the foul line, Boone answered with two foul shots of his own to give the Gophers a one-point lead.
Davis missed a pair of close-range shots the next trip down the floor, but the referees called a jump ball on the rebound, giving the ball back to the Spartans with 14.3 seconds to go and drawing thunderous boos from the crowd.
Davis was fouled on his next shot, setting up his free throws, and Minnesota failed to score on its final possession.
It was the second straight overtime game for both teams. Minnesota -- which has lost five straight -- lost 86-81 to Indiana on Saturday, and the Spartans fell 76-70 to Purdue.
"We're taking steps," Hill said. "Especially after the way we lost that last game at Purdue. We felt like we should have won that one."
Michigan State shot a horrible 8-for-24 from the floor in the first half. But the Spartans re-established their inside game in the second to fuel a 39-16 run that spanned both halves to pull back into the game.
Early on, the Gophers looked to be on their way to a rout and their first conference win.
The Spartans, who entered the game leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage, managed only four points in the first 10 minutes of the game. Minnesota, meanwhile, had one of its best first halves of the year.
The Gophers opened the game by outscoring the Spartans 21-4.
"We couldn't have put ourselves in a better situation in the first half," Humphries said. "We just couldn't put them away."
Hill, who had been shooting 56 percent (37-for-66) over the previous seven games, picked up two quick fouls and left the game after just four minutes. He finished the half 0-for-3 from the field (he finished 6-for-10).
