Huskies Move On in NCAA Tournament with Narrow Win
In a tightly contested game, Taris Reed Jr. put up 20 points while Alex Karaban contributed 17. Both players stepped up in the final moments, hitting crucial free throws to secure a 67-63 victory for the second-seeded UW over third-seeded Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.
With just 22.5 seconds remaining, Karaban was fouled, allowing the Huskies (32-5) to take a 63-62 lead. He calmly sank both free throws, extending their advantage to three points. Michigan State struggled to get a good shot off, and Kru Ten’s attempt from beyond the arc fell short.
As the game neared its conclusion, the Huskies were called for a foul on the rebound with only 4.6 seconds left. Carson Cooper for Michigan State stepped to the line but missed his second free throw—perhaps unintentionally—allowing Reed to grab the rebound. Reed’s subsequent free throws almost sealed the game.
Now, the Huskies are set for a heavyweight showdown against top-seeded Duke University in the NCAA Tournament East Regional Final scheduled for Sunday.
On the other hand, Michigan State (27-8) had initially fought back from a daunting 19-point deficit, but their shooting was off, hitting only 4-of-16 from three-point range.
The match featured four teams with a combined total of 13 national championships, so the high energy was expected. In the first game, Duke narrowly defeated St. John’s 80-75, with the action going down to the wire.
Initially, it looked as if UW would dominate, jumping to a 25-6 lead thanks to a 15-1 run featuring contributions from Malachi Smith, Solo Ball, and Jaylin Stewart. However, the Spartans tightened their defense in the last three minutes, inching their way to a 35-27 halftime score.
Michigan State started the second half strong, scoring the first seven points. But the Huskies quickly responded. Reed’s steal followed by a dunk temporarily lifted UW back up by six points, prompting coach Dan Hurley to gesture animatedly to the fans to amplify the atmosphere.
Yet, the Spartans were unyielding. Jackson Kohler made a pivotal three-point play at the 10:06 mark, giving Michigan State a slim 45-44 lead.
Despite Michigan State going through a scoring drought, UW managed a brief 56-49 lead thanks to Ball’s driving layup. The game remained neck-and-neck down the stretch. After a three-pointer from Karaban, the Huskies held a 58-57 advantage. Michigan State responded swiftly with Jeremy Fears Jr. making a timely three-pointer, pulling them back closer.
In those final moments, Reed capped off his performance with two important free throws at 44.8 seconds left, while Fiers answered with two of his own just 32.3 seconds later.
