The Wildcats guard from Harlem sets the NCAA tournament assist record with 19 in a thrilling overtime win in the Sweet 16.
Nowell jogged back down the floor and yelled at Cleaves again. Cleaves nodded, the only thing he could do.
Nowell didn’t need to score to take the game by the throat. He assisted on 10 of Kansas State’s 16 first-half baskets, most of them feats of artistry. Nowell hissed baseball passes, lobbed alley-oops and shuffled no-look dimes, all of them laser-guided into teammates’ shooting posture. He bewildered Michigan State defenders on pick and rolls, deciphering their coverage and waiting for just the right moment to throw just the right pass.
“I knew he wasn’t staying off,” Tang said. “That dude didn’t come here to be injured on his last college game.”Nowell emerged from the tunnel after less than three minutes of game time, but his absence had cost the Wildcats. Kansas State led 50-46 with 15:32 remaining when Nowell rolled his ankle. With Nowell in the locker room, Michigan State outscored the Wildcats 9-2 in less than three minutes. The Spartans had seized a 55-52 lead with 13:11 left when Nowell returned.
The game elevated into frenzy, a succession of traded baskets and flipped leads. Ismael Massoud, another Wildcat from Harlem, drained clutch shots. Kansas State’s lead swelled to seven with 4:45 left, but Coach Tom Izzo’s program has not made eight Final Fours by letting opponents coast.Lefty Jaden Akins drained a three-pointer from the left corner, cutting the deficit to two.
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