DETROIT — Less than 48 hours after playing lockdown defense against high-powered No. 6 seed Texas Christian, Syracuse (23-13, 8-10 Atlantic Coast) beat No. 3 seed Michigan State (30-5, 16-2 Big 10), 55-53. A ferocious defensive effort by SU sent the Orange to the Sweet 16 in Omaha, Nebraska, next week, to play No. 2 seed Duke.
Here are the best images from Sunday’s game.
Little Caesars Arena was nearly full for the game, mostly of Michigan State fans. MSU's campus is only about 90 minutes from Detroit.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Syracuse's locker room inside the arena. The Orange earned a date with MSU after beating Arizona State and TCU earlier in the week.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
The Orange played its third game in a five-day span for just the third time all season.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
About four hours prior to the game, Syracuse players ate pasta and chicken, the team's go-to pregame meal.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Visit vitos-syracuse.com to learn more about our outstanding dining experience.
The Spartans entered the season ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25, has never been ranked lower than No. 9 and has been ranked outside the top-five for just two all weeks all season. MSU ended the year ranked No. 5 and, by some accounts, should have received an even higher seed than No. 3.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Both MSU and SU brought marching bands to the contest.
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The Orange went just 8-10 in ACC play and barely made the NCAA Tournament. Now, SU is a win away from the Elite Eight.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
The Spartans had lost only four games all year and beat North Carolina by double-digits earlier in the season.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Arguably the two most talented players on the court, MSU sophomore Miles Bridges (22) and SU freshman Oshae Brissett (11), matched up in several one-on-one situations.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Even without its starting point guard Frank Howard over the final 6:29, Syracuse went on a big run to close out the game and beat No. 3 seed Michigan State on Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
With just over a minute left, Brissett grabbed a defensive rebound to set up a Battle step-back jumper that pushed SU’s lead to three. Brissett also had nine rebounds and played the whole game. He scored 15 points.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Sophomore guard Tyus Battle missed two step-back jumpers early in the game. But he drilled his final shot to help preserve the win.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
MSU head coach Tom Izzo said the loss ranks among the top two or three he's ever had.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Syracuse redshirt freshman Matthew Moyer made two key blocks in eight minutes of action. He also added a free throw for one point on the day.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Freshman forward Bourama Sidibe got into foul trouble, but he played 21 minutes and scored two points, adding four rebounds and a few quality defensive plays.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Brissett looks to get by Bridges to the left. Bridges said after the game that he wanted to force Brissett to his weak side, his left, to try to slow him down.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
The Spartans had a lot to celebrate: 21 second-chance points and 29 offensive rebounds.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
MSU's Jaren Jackson Jr. tries a jumper. He scored just two points in the game. "All over the world, people are going through way worse than we are right now," he said after the game.
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Battle attacks with the left. He led SU with 17 points.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Battle went 4-for-15 overall and 0-for-3 from deep.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Battle scored nine points on free throws alone, missing just one.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Syracuse had two players play all 40 minutes: Battle and Brissett.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Brissett took command of the SU offense, knocking down contested shots and maneuvering inside.
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Howard and Battle chat about a recent play, as both lead the offense and anchor the top of the 2-3 zone.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Howard scored 13 points, had two rebounds and dished out one assist across 34 minutes on the floor.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
A towel covers Howard's head. To his right is junior center Paschal Chukwu, who scored one point and grabbed two rebounds.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
The Spartans front line is no taller than that of Syracuse, but they are muscular and physical inside.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Syracuse’s defense mounted nearly every Spartan first-chance and maintained the gridlock defense that powered it past high-powered offenses in Arizona State, Texas Christian and now Michigan State.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Former walk-on Braedon Bayer played well in the final minutes in place of Howard, chipping in good defense with a steal and block.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Battle took more shots than all but one player on the court: Bridges.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Battle turned the ball over three times, a relatively low rate given the defensive pressure he faced.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Bayer and the Orange celebrate the win as the final buzzer sounded.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
There was only a small contingent of SU fans at the game, but they had plenty of reason to celebrate Sunday in Detroit.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Battle and Howard are never far removed from each other on or off the court as the leading duo for the Orange.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Bayer had the honors of putting up Syracuse's sticker on the bracket. Battle did that on Wednesday and Marek Dolezaj had the job on Friday.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Moyer embraces Bayer outside their lockers.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
Brissett makes a call after the game. He added a block and steal in the contest.
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer
MSU star Miles Bridges after the game was subdued: "Life goes on."
Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff PhotographerPublished on March 18, 2018 at 9:07 pm Contact Alexandra: amoreo@syr.edu
