After a 3-of-10 start from the line, junior guard Denzel Valentine and senior guard Travis Trice made MSU's last six free throws to seal the upset win over the Sooners — and advance to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year. 

"We've just got to realize — me and Travis realize we're the free-throw shooters, and we feel the most confident at the line," Valentine said. "The team's going to go by us. So if we're missing free throws, the rest of the guys are going to miss free throws. We're confident enough, when we work hard enough on the free throws, to step to the line and knock them down."

The Spartans trailed by 10 in the first half, but Trice and Valentine stepped up for the No. 7-seeded Spartans (25-11) on Friday, leading the team to a 62-58 victory over Oklahoma to continue an improbable postseason run. Trice finished with 24 points, and Valentine overcame a slow first half to score 18. 

"Get to work another day," Izzo said. "Can't tell you how excited that makes me. That's what I asked of these guys."

On Sunday, MSU will take on No. 4 seed Louisville at 2:20 p.m.

Oklahoma started off hot, making five of their first six field goals. A dunk by Sooner forward Ryan Spangler gave them an early 18-8 advantage.

MSU cut the lead to four multiple times, but Oklahoma continued to push it to 10. Back-to-back triples by Valentine and junior guard Bryn Forbes cut the lead to four entering halftime.

"I think at one point they had scored on every possession because they missed a couple of shots, got the rebound, and put those back, too," Izzo said. "We were leaving early. We were just a day late and a dollar short on every everything we did. I don't have an answer why."

The tempo changed in the second half, and Valentine was the reason. The junior guard knocked down several clutch 3-pointers, making 3-of-6 attempts, to help MSU take the lead with just over nine minutes to go.

"I was talking to Travis in the hallway, the first half, I felt like it was my first time playing basketball," Valentine said. "But I just kind of snapped out of it, and I was like I'm in the Sweet 16, and we've got a chance to go to the Final Four. I'm dreaming, what the heck? I just slapped the ground, and I woke up, I guess. Guys responded, and Travis led us."

With just under five minutes to play, Trice tripled from the left corner to push the lead to five and ice the game.

MSU's offense in the first half was an ugly sight. The second-half turnaround is a sign the team is gaining confidence, according to Izzo.

"These guys are making plays," Izzo said. I think they're doing a better job of coming out of huddles, knowing what we're going to do. I think they trust each other a little bit more. I think we're executing a little better. There's times I just look at my staff and say, what are we doing? But there's times I look at my staff and say, wow, these guys are spilling it. The second half I thought we did. The first half I didn't think we did."

There's one game remaining between the Spartans and a trip to the Final Four. However, igniting last year's broken Final Four streak isn't on Trice's mind, he said after the win.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I thought about it," Trice said. "I approach every game to win. I have complete faith in our coaching staff and our team that I approach every game like we're going to win. I never once think that we might lose or we could lose. It's what do we got to do to win?"

Valentine, however, was more open about his end goal.

After falling in the Elite Eight last year, Izzo said he didn't realize how much the broken Final Four streak affected Valentine and Trice. After Friday's game, Valentine said the team understands what it takes to get to that point, and they don't want to repeat last year.

"It's great that we won and everything, but we've been here before, last year in this spot, and I know how it takes a lot of hard work to get here," Valentine said. "So we don't want this Elite Eight game to be our last either. So we're approaching this like this is our last. We're hungry. We want to get to the Final Four. That's our mission."