Spartans eliminate Virginia again

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Travis Trice received a text message Sunday from Golden State Warriors forward and former Michigan State player Draymond Green that read: “Don’t let this be your last game.”

The Spartans’ senior guard texted back, “It won’t.”

Trice made sure of that Sunday, scoring 23 points and helping Michigan State knock second-seeded Virginia out of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, 60-54.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Trice scored 13 of his team’s first 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers, to help the Spartans build a 15-4 lead.

Branden Dawson added 15 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Spartans, who advanced to the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in the last eight seasons under coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans will play Oklahoma in Syracuse, New York, on Friday.

“Our thing was attack from the get go and get a lead,” said Trice, in his first full season as a starter after three years as a reserve.

“Big-time players make big-time plays (and) that’s what Travis did,” said Dawson, who started playing with Trice in AAU ball.

With top seed Villanova having lost Saturday, it is the first time a No. 1 and 2 seed from the same region didn’t advance to the Sweet 16 since Kentucky and Gonzaga in 2004.

The Cavaliers (30-4), the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to lose after a 9-0 start in the tournament, were led by Anthony Gill’s 11 points.