With 130 games on tap, Saturday’s college hoops slate was bound to get crazy, though fans tuning into Michigan State/Iowa on ESPN may have gotten more than they bargained for, riding an emotional roller coaster that would end with the Hawkeyes completing one of the most improbable comebacks you’ll ever see.
Facing a 13-point deficit with 1:34 remaining in the second half, Iowa would storm all the way back, burying their conference rival with a deluge of threes, none more heroic than Payton Sandfort’s game-tying bucket to force overtime. Iowa would never look back, carrying that momentum to a 112-106 victory before a sold-out crowd of 15,056 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
The Spartans’ stunning collapse was an apt metaphor for their recent struggles, a microcosm of a season that started with so much promise, only to deteriorate with their worst stretch in years (5-7 in their last 12 games). As devastating as the loss was for Michigan State and its fans, it was even worse for bettors, spelling the ultimate bad beat for anyone who had the Spartans to cover at +5.5.
Once considered a lock for March Madness, the Spartans may be playing themselves onto the bubble, likely needing convincing wins over Nebraska and Ohio State in their final two regular-season games to keep their tournament hopes alive. For what it’s worth, ESPN “bracketologist” Joe Lunardi had Michigan State as a seven seed in his latest projections filed Friday.
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