It was a formula to Louisville’s game plan, and a formula that worked – attack Kohler, limit post penetration and crash the glass. Only in the waning minutes of the game did this formula fail, and with it, the hopes of Louisville advancing. 

The moment came with 7:42 left in the second half. Leading 58-50, MSU had yet to pull away from a persistent, physical Cardinal team. On a frontcourt possession, Jeremy Fears Jr. brought the ball up, initiated the Spartan offense and fed Kohler in the post. With the ball, Kohler backed down Cardinal forward Evangelos Zougris before going up for a shot. During the attempt, Zougris came down hard on Kohler’s head, knocking him to the floor. Although Kohler missed the shot, he was awarded a foul and two free throws. After a review, officials determined Zougris committed unnecessary contact. The personal foul was upgraded to a flagrant, giving Kohler two free throws and returning possession to MSU.

Kohler would make both shots, extending the lead to 60-50. Following the free throws and with the ball, Coen Carr found Kohler open and at the top of the key, where he attempted and converted a three point shot that extended MSU’s lead to 13. 

It was a five point swing that sucked all life out of Louisville. It was the moment MSU won the game. It was the moment the Spartans advanced to the Sweet 16. 

“It was big for a season to deliver at the moment,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “I think he did a good job. He and Carson Cooper struggled a little bit early, but both came back [to play] pretty good.”

Fast paced basketball. It’s how the game began, and it’s how the game continued, with MSU pushing the length of the floor to take advantage of the Cardinals moderate defense. In the early going of the first half, it became the only way MSU found success in scoring; it would obtain a rebound, run, find the basket and convert. 

It was a speed that made Louisville look uncomfortable, and it helped MSU go on an 8-0 to extend its lead to 22-14 with 9:33 left in the first half. It was a lead that would not be lost. 

This opened opportunities for Spartans sprinting the floor. If Cam Ward, Coen Carr or Carson Cooper beat a Louisville defender downcourt, Jeremy Fears Jr. found them in stride for finishes at the basket. The up-tempo play also created opportunities from beyond the arc. When the Cardinals recovered to protect the rim, Fears often located an open teammate on the perimeter, leading to 3-pointers. MSU finished 11-for-26 (42%) from 3-point range, with senior guard Trey Fort leading the way with three 3s and 12 points.

It’s not to say that MSU was perfect when running the floor. At times it would run too fast even for itself, converting errant passes that lead to turnovers. By the end of the first half, MSU racked up nine turnovers – the most in a Spartan first half since its 11 first half turnovers to Michigan on Jan. 31. By the end of the game, MSU would turn the ball over 15 times. 

What this created were offensive opportunities that kept Louisville in the game. Every time the Spartans had a chance to pull away, an errant pass would be committed or the ball would be fumbled and lost, leading to a Cardinal offensive possession that resulted in points. Louisville scored 20 points off of turnovers. Fears would lead the Spartans category in turnovers committed with five in the game, which would lead the team. 

Fears also led the category in assists with 16, which sets the Spartan record for most assists in an NCAA Tournament game. He would also add 12 points on a 3-for-13 shooting display. 

“We turned the ball over too much, and that’s on all of us, including me,” Izzo said. “But Jeremy Fears deserves a lot of credit. He's just getting better right now, and he's getting better every week.”

While Louisville struggled in transition, it was effective defending the post. Similar to the start of the NDSU game, the Cardinals attacked inside, using dribble penetration and entry passes to their big men. Defensively and on the boards, Louisville was strong, double-teaming Kohler and Cooper and crashing the paint after each shot. MSU was outscored 26-24 in the paint and allowed Louisville to grab 11 offensive rebounds, leading to 10 second-chance points.

It was this post performance by Louisville that limited Kohler for the majority of the game. 

“I struggled to get the ball in the hoop today,” Kohler said. “But a shooter's mentality is to just keep getting those shots up. To see the free throws go in and to get that three pointer, it just really helped me with confidence.”

Kohler would finish the game shooting 3-for-9 from the field with ten points and six rebounds. Alongside him was Cooper, who only scored nine points on a 4-for-6 shooting display while obtaining five rebounds.

The struggles to control the paint opened up pressure for MSU’s guards to perform. In a win or go home game, they answered the call through converting shots and playing perimeter defense that limited Louisville in what it was best at: making shots. 

The sharp-shooting team that regularly relies on its three point conversion abilities had difficulties getting shots to fall. From beyond the arc, the Cardinals were held to a 13-for-37 (35%) shooting display. It wasn’t their worst performance, but in a game of such significance, it was a statistic that left them breathless in struggle. 

It seemed to be a fair tradeoff: MSU loses the battle in the post while Louisville loses the battle from beyond the arc. A rare battle to lose for either team, but a trade that benefited both for a majority of the game. Only when Kohler contributed to the five point swing did the trade become uneven. 

“Our guys battled all year and bound together all year,” Izzo said. “And we get to go to Washington, DC again to play in the Sweet 16 where this program belongs. 

The weekend is complete. Another challenge awaits. There’s nothing sweeter than the Sweet 16.

Next Friday, March 27, the Spartans will travel to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., to face the winner of No. 2 seed Connecticut and No. 7 seed UCLA.