No. 3 Arizona uses late run to down No. 21 Michigan State
Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (2) reacts during the first half of the first-ever Acrisure Classic against Michigan State in Palm Desert, Calif., on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2023. credits: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK Keshad Johnson finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Caleb Love scored 17 points in No. 3 Arizona's 74-68 win Thursday over No. 21 Michigan State in the Acrisure Classic at Thousand Palms, Calif.
The Spartans (3-3) did not make a field goal in the last 3:58, missing their last six shots.
Arizona (6-0) closed the game with an 11-2 run.
Love snapped a stretch of more than four minutes without a field goal for Arizona by making a jumper in the lane with 3:47 remaining, cutting the lead to 66-65.
That was part of a stretch in which Arizona scored six unanswered points, the last four by Johnson, to take a 69-66 lead with 2:09 left.
Jaden Bradley increased the lead to 71-66 with 1:23 left on a jumper in the lane.
After A.J. Hoggard made two free throws for Michigan State, Love converted one of two from the line with 24 seconds left to give Arizona a 72-68 lead.
Johnson blocked a shot by Tyson Walker, and then a steal by Love resulted in a breakaway dunk by KJ Lewis to cap the win for Arizona.
Walker, who averaged 23 points a game entering Thursday, returned after not playing against Alcorn State on Sunday at East Lansing, Mich., because of a cold.
He finished with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Hoggard added 15 points.
Michigan State made three of its first 15 shots in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Arizona built a 34-19 lead after Boswell made a layup with 4:33 left in the half.
Michigan State then went on an 11-3 run before Love made a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give Arizona a 40-30 lead.
Arizona went nearly the first five minutes without a made field goal of the second half, which allowed Michigan State to cut the lead to 42-39 with 16:35 remaining.
Michigan State went on an 11-1 run to take a 66-63 with 3:58 left.
Arizona's Pelle Larsson, who finished with 10 points, fouled during the run, which gave the Spartans the lead for the first time in the game.
—Field Level Media
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