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Spartans take down overall No. 1 Duke to reach Final Four

Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston reacts after scoring on Duke during the first half of Sunday's NCAA tournament East Region final in Washington.
Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston reacts after scoring on Duke during the first half of Sunday's NCAA tournament East Region final in Washington. Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston reacts after scoring on Duke during the first half of Sunday's NCAA tournament East Region final in Washington.

By Associated Press 5 min read

photo Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston reacts after scoring on Duke during the first half of Sunday’s NCAA tournament East Region final in Washington.

WASHINGTON – Cassius Winston missed an open jump shot but was right there for the rebound.

Without hesitating, he stepped back and swished a 3-pointer.

“Now is not the time to doubt yourself,” Winston said later. “Now’s not the time to shy away from those big moments.”

The biggest moment for the Michigan State men’s basketball is still to come after Winston led the Spartans back to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.

Michigan State beat Duke 68-67 on Sunday in the East Region final, knocking the overall top seed out of the NCAA tournament in what likely was the end of Blue Devils freshman star Zion Williamson’s college career. Winston took over the game when his team faced its biggest deficit, stealing the show from Williamson with 20 points and 10 assists in a do-it-all performance that seemed fitting with former Spartans star Magic Johnson there to see it.