ATLANTA- Michigan State lost to Kansas 77-69 in the State Farm Arena, as with only two total lead changes the Spartans couldn’t stop Kansas down the stretch in the fourth.
MSU and Kansas started slow, with defense being a key factor for both sides to start the game.
Kansas grad student forward Hunter Dickinson scored first with a quick two, and he continued to dominate the scoring margin with 15 points in the first.
The Spartans struggled early, with Dickinson halting MSU’s chances of success in the middle.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo decided to play junior center Carson Cooper early and it paid dividends. He cleaned up the glass for a put-back shot, which made the score 8-4.
The Spartans clawed their way back with 13 minutes to go in the first, with free throws and defensive opportunities for MSU, led by Cooper, freshman guard Jase Richardson and senior forward Frankie Fidler, who converted from the line, and finished the night 7-7 from the stripe.
Both teams had scoring droughts, with MSU holding Kansas to no field goals for four minutes and the Spartans capitalized with eight unanswered points.
With 8:34 on the clock, junior forward Jaxon Kohler forced a block and the Spartans ran on the other end, and he was rewarded with a put-back score giving MSU the lead 12-10.
Cooper continued to keep the game close, with an alley-oop slam and finished the night with six.
MSU and Kansas went back and forth but shots did not fall for either team until Dickinson scored five points accompanied with a ferocious dunk by freshman forward Flory Bidunga, which sparked a Kansas lead 23-18 with 3:20 left in the first.
“Flory is a quick guy,” said Dickinson. “So athletic, so energetic, and his time protections are really easy. He’s a great defender. ”
Both teams struggled with shooting during the game, with MSU shooting 12.5% from three and Kansas shooting 29% respectively.
MSU needed a player to step up, and the talented freshman Richardson did just that. Richardson took the role and scored a quick two from a rush into the lane.
“I thought Jase played very well,” said Izzo in his post-game press conference.
Kansas started to figure it out offensively late in the first, led by junior guard Rylan Griffen and senior guard David Coit with a pull-up three, which extended the Kansas lead 28-20.
The Spartans looked for an offensive spark, and Richardson provided another with one three-pointer that put MSU back within two possessions 30-24 to close the first half.
The Spartans only had one three-pointer so far, but Richardson had different plans. Richardson took the leading scorer role from Cooper, with eight points in the first.
MSU came out of the locker room hot, and bridged the deficit back to only two, with Kansas holding on to their lead 32-30.
MSU and Kansas sparked offensive play quickly, with back-to-back dunks from transfer senior center Szymon Zapala and Dickinson.
Defense continued to be a focal point down the stretch, with a two-minute scoring drought on both ends. The drought ended with a transition three from Griffen, the second three of the half.
Spartans’ Kohler and junior guard Tre Holloman kept the deficit close for MSU in the second. Holloman scored his first points of the night, and Kohler tied the game 39-39 with a hook shot that electrified the MSU crowd.
Both teams continued to go back and forth with 12 minutes to go, with Richardson and Dickinson taking the helm for both of their teams in the second. Dickinson scored with two layups, but the Spartans’ responded with a jam by sophomore forward Coen Carr.
Carr showed out when the Spartans needed it most, and scored his sixth point of the day.
Redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. was quiet on the night with foul trouble early but found his offense as he took it coast to coast and closed the Kansas lead to three, 50-47.
Kansas extended the lead to five with nearly 10 minutes to go in the second half, but the Spartans tied it up quickly with five unanswered points with a trailing three from Kohler, which made it 52-52 with 8:37 left.
The Spartans kept the score close for a moment, but Kansas rallied right back with two free throws and a huge three-pointer from junior guard AJ Storr. Kansas shot 29% from the three-point line, and Storr opened the gates for the rest of the team.
“That really hurt us,” Izzo said, “but you pick your poison and give credit, he made some of those shots, made that big three, but still we had our chance to win the game.”
Izzo decided to attack Kansas aggressively, and Fidler did just that with a euro-step, and two free throws that cut the Kansas lead to three.
Dickinson and his crew went on a run late, scoring nine points with MSU not able to shoot consistently, with Kansas up 68-59 with four minutes left.
The Spartans kept hanging around with Kansas, going back and forth with buckets by second-chance points on both ends.
Fears Jr. intercepted a pass and scored a quick two which put MSU down eight with 45 seconds to go. MSU made it close with a go-ahead three from Fidler, which put the team within six.
The Spartans tried to cause an upset in State Farm Arena but Kansas closed it out in Atlanta 77-69 with Dickinson who led the charge with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
The Spartans will be back at the Breslin Center on Saturday against Bowling Green.
