Michigan State rallies to beat No

The Michigan State Spartans will take on the Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday night in one of the marquee matchups of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge this year. Snyder started for the Cardinals previous year but has played a more prominent role this season as he is averaging 10 points per game while making 39 percent of his three pointers.

Just before the half-time horn, Louisville reserve center Anas Mahmoud missed a putback and, in the scramble in the final seconds before the buzzer, Valentine stumbled and tossed up a prayer that rolled in to cut Louisville’s lead to 32-29 at the half. In two separate second-half stretches Wednesday night his shot-making served as the spark Michigan State needed, the second of which being three-pointers within the span of two minutes and thirty seconds with the last giving the Spartans a 58-56 lead. But with Tum Tum Nairn and Eron Harris both struggling offensively, Michigan State needed someone to step forward alongside Valentine to do some of the “heavy lifting”, and Forbes was that man. He ended the game as Michigan State’s best rebounding option.

Michigan State cut the Louisville lead to 42-41 with just under 13 minutes left, but a driving layup and free throw by Mangok Mathiang put Louisville back up by four on the next possession.

The Spartans tied the score at 47 with 10:11 left, prompting a Louisville timeout.

The senior scored 20 to help UNC beat No. 2 Maryland 89-81 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, showing no ill effects from the broken bone in his right hand nor rust from the layoff.

Louisville’s Trey Lewis, right, goes over Michigan State’s Eron…

Bryn Forbes was the real star for the Spartans, though.

U of L’s next game is Saturday hosting Grand Canyon.

CINCINNATI (AP) – Kellen Dunham scored 24 points while leading a second-half comeback, and Roosevelt Jones hit a bank shot with a tenth of a second left, rallying Butler past Cincinnati. A turnover by Louisville led to an alley-oop from Valentine to Deyonta Davis to give MSU its largest lead of the game. The senior guard didn’t shoot well early on, but he rebounded to have a solid game, scoring 25 points (7-of-16), grabbing five boards and dishing seven assists.