Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 18, 1990 TAG: 9003182441
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: KNOXVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
"We pleaded, insisted, begged that we get back and take our defense to a level above what we've played the last couple of games," Heathcote said. "I thought we did that."
The top-seeded Spartans (28-5) held ninth-seeded California-Santa Barbara to 33 percent shooting from the field, sending the Gauchos and Heathcote's old coaching buddy, Jerry Pimm, to a 62-58 loss in the second round of the Southeast Regional.
Michigan State won its 12th straight game and advanced to the round of 16 in New Orleans, where it will face Georgia Tech, a 94-91 winner against Louisiana State. It is the second time the Spartans have reached the regional semifinals since they won the national championship in 1979. The other time, in 1986, the Spartans lost to Kansas.
Michigan State needed overtime to beat Murray State in the first round and didn't put away UCSB until an 11-0 run early in the second half gave it a 37-25 lead. The closest the Gauchos got after that was the final score.
"We're not trying to look good; we're just trying to win," Heathcote said.
Pimm's team didn't look good and lost.
"We didn't get a good, clear shot down in deep without going up off balance," said Pimm, whose Big West Conference team finished 22-10. "You have to attribute that to the way they played."
Star forward Eric McArthur said the Gauchos were not victimized by nerves, but Michigan State's physical, man-to-man defense was enough to throw them off. Michigan State put the clamps on McArthur, who was hampered by foul trouble and scored just eight points while being guarded by the Spartans' defensive stopper, Ken Redfield. The 6-foot-7 McArthur, normally a defensive intimidator, wasn't a factor on that end, either.
"[Defensively], I was looking to block too much and, in that respect, let my man get in behind me for easy buckets," McArthur said. "I controlled myself offensively . . . thinking more jump shot than drop-step power move.
"[But] the fact that we lost is much more devastating than the fact that I had a bad game."
Michigan State got 21 points from guard Steve Smith, but no other Spartan scored in double figures. Pimm said Smith alone hurt the Gauchos.
"They were a big 21," he said. "They were important points when he got them."
Smith had four points and freshman forward Dwayne Stephens had four during the Spartans' 11-0 run. It began after UCSB guard Carrick DeHart scored on a layup off a steal to cut Michigan State's lead to 26-25 with 16:41 left in the game.
The teams exchanged missed shots before Stephens made two free throws for a 28-25 Michigan State lead with 15:19 to go. UCSB's Gary Gray then lost the ball inside and Smith scored on a drive for a 30-25 lead.
Two possessions later, Stephens scored on a fast-break layup to make it 32-25. At the other end, McArthur missed a turnaround jumper and Smith countered by making one for the Spartans for a 34-25 lead with 12:38 to go.
UCSB's Idris Jones missed a 3-pointer and Smith fed Stephens for a dunk. Stephens was fouled and sank the free throw to make it 37-25 with 11:30 left.
The Gauchos couldn't climb back. DeHart, the team's leading scorer, made three of seven shots from the field in the first half. Jones, the team's second-best 3-point threat, missed both of his first-half attempts. The Spartans weren't exactly brilliant on offense, but they had Smith.
"We didn't shoot the ball extremely well in the first half," said Mike Montgomery, the Spartans' point guard, "but Steve took the game into his hands in the second half when we won it."
Heathcote, who was worried about his team after its first-round close call, relaxed a bit after Saturday's game.
"We have some games ahead to make things happen, and that's all we care about," he said.
\ UC-SANTA BARBARA (58)
Davis 2-6 1-2 6, Gray 3-12 0-0 6, McArthur 3-8 2-4 8, DeHart 8-20 4-4 23, Johnson 2-5 1-1 6, Akins 2-4 0-0 4, Jones 1-7 2-2 5, Meyer 0-0 0-0 0, Erbst 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-63 10-13 58.
\ MICHIGAN STATE (62)
Redfield 2-5 3-8 7, Steigenga 3-4 2-2 8, Peplowski 3-6 2-4 8, Smith 6-15 9-10 21, Montgomery 1-4 0-1 2, Manns 1-5 1-1 3, Hickman 2-2 1-1 5, Stephens 2-3 4-5 8. Totals 20-44 22-32 62.
Halftime-25-20, Michigan St. Three-point goals-UCSB 6-20 (DeHart 3-12, Jones 1-5, Johnson 1-2, Davis 1-1), Michigan St. 0-5 (Smith 0-2, Manns 0-2, Montgomery 0-1). Fouled out-Davis, Johnson. Rebounds-UCSB 38 (McArthur 7), Michigan St. 41 (Peplowski 11). Assists-UCSB 9 (Davis, McArthur, Johnson 2), Michigan St. 11 (Smith 4). Total fouls-UCSB 27, Michigan St. 14. Technicals-Stephens. A-NA.
by CNB