“We had a lot of guys that kind of screwed up and then came back,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said told the Spartan Sports Network. “Keith, the poor kid was struggling then hit those four free throws, all 1-and-1. I thought that was unbelievable.”

Appling and Kebler’s free throws were part of the Spartans’ 14-1 run to finish the game and come away with the victory.

Early in the game, it looked as if Tuesday’s matchup would be a race to 40 points.

Minnesota came out playing a 2-3 zone defense which gave MSU fits for the entire first half.

Senior guard Kalin Lucas hit a 3-pointer on the Spartans’ first possession of the game, but MSU went on a cold streak after that, although the team still led 3-2 at the first media timeout.

However, Minnesota scored the next six points as part of an 8-0 run. Meanwhile, the Spartans were shooting 1-for-7 from the field before junior forward Draymond Green hit a 3-pointer. The 3-pointer ended nearly an eight-minute drought for the Spartans, and made the score, 8-6, in favor of the Golden Gophers with 11:51 in the second half.

After a Lucas layup tied the game at eight, Minnesota scored the next eight points to take a 16-10 lead. The Spartans started the game going 3-for-14 from the field as the Golden Gophers built their first half lead.

But led by Lucas, the Spartans did not let Minnesota run away with the half. Blake Hoffarber hit two free throws to give the Golden Gophers a 19-12 lead, but MSU went on a 7-2 run over the final five-plus minutes of the half.

The run made the Minnesota lead, 21-19, at the break and, along with Lucas, was one of the few bright spots of a slow offensive half for the Spartans.

Perhaps more importantly than his offense, Lucas was part of a group that held Minnesota’s Blake Hoffarber to just five points.

MSU turned the ball over five times in the first half and shot 8-for-24 from the field, including 3-13 from behind the long line. Fortunately for the Spartans, the Golden Gophers weren’t much better, shooting the exact same percentage from the field. The difference in the first half was the free-throw line, where Minnesota shot 4-for-9 and MSU didn’t even attempt a shot.

The Spartans made seven field goals in the first 7:27 of the second half after making only eight in the entire first.

However, with MSU holding a 37-31 lead, the Golden Gophers scored seven-straight points to reclaim the lead with less than 10 minutes to play. The seven-straight points ended up being just part of a 16-3 run that extended Minnesota’s lead to 47-40 with less than four minutes to play.
With 3:37 left, Lucas went to the line sparking the final 14-1 run.

Lucas again led the Spartans with 18 points, while Green brought in 10 rebounds. Trevor Mbakwe paced the Golden Gophers with 13 points.

MSU’s NCAA Tournament hopes improved with the win, and a relieved Izzo knew it.

“What a big win for us,” Izzo said.