Michigan State outlasts Ole Miss in Sweet 16: Spartans reach Elite Eight for 15th time

ATLANTA—Allseason,MichiganStatehaswongamesitseeminglyshouldn’t,gottenbywhenadeficitseemedtospelldoomandfoundaway.SoifthisteamisgoingtogototheFinalFour,that’sexactlyhowit’lldoso. AndtheSpartansappeartotallycomfortablewiththat. UpagainstaruggedfoefromthemightySEC,thesecond-seededSpartanspriedawaya73-70victoryfromOleMissandbookedaspotintheSouthRegionEliteEight,winningagain,fortheeighthtimesincethestartofFebruary,aftertrailingathalftime. TheSpartansarestillalivethankstoJaseRichardson’s20points,abreakout15-pointperformancefromsophomoreCoenCarr,anotherreliabletwo-waygamefromveteranJadenAkinsandwinningonbothendsofthefloorinthesecondhalf.Richardsonhit4-of-6from3-pointrange. MichiganStatedidn’ttakeitsfirstleaduntiltheseven-minutemarkofthesecondhalfandseemedpoisedtofinallyovertaketheunderdogRebels.Instead,thetworip-snortedthroughawildfinish,matchingmomentformoment. AstealatmidcourseledtoCarrcockingtheballb