It was early Saturday morning when the final horn sounded, and when it did, Michigan State had gutted out a much-needed victory in the PK85 Invitational.
Behind 18 points each from Joey Hauser and Tyson Walker, the 12th-ranked Spartans won a battle of shorthanded teams, outlasting Oregon for a 74-70 victory at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.
Pierre Brooks added a career-high 15 points for Michigan State (4-2), which will face Portland on Sunday in the fifth-place game.
Will Richardson scored 28 to lead Oregon (2-4) while Kel’el Ware added 17 points and Rivaldo Soares chipped in 10.