COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Tre Holloman hadn’t even reached the “M” logo at midcourt when he jumped off one foot and let the ball fly.
Somehow, it stayed on line before dropping through the hoop with a swish that reverberated across the Big Ten. If Michigan State and coach Tom Izzo win yet another conference title, Holloman’s buzzer-beater might be the reason.
“Every day at home, the night before a game, that last practice, we have the guys go around. Everybody gets a shot at a half-court shot. The last two games, Tre has made two of them. He’s made one (before) each game,” Izzo said. “I thought that thing was in when it left. I really did.”
The Spartans may practice shooting from midcourt, but when Holloman left the ground on this game-winner, he was closer to his own 3-point line — some 65 feet from the hoop. The shot gave No. 8 Michigan State a 58-55 win over No. 16 Maryland, plus a half-game lead over Michigan atop the Big Ten. It was a sensational finish to a game that was high on intensity but low on artistry. “I felt we deserved to win the game,” Izzo said. “I don’t think it was a lucky shot at the end. I thought we played inspired basketball.”
If the game had gone to overtime, Holloman would have been largely to blame. With the Spartans up by two, his pass in the backcourt was intercepted, and then he quickly fouled Ja’Kobi Gillespie, whose two free throws with 42.1 seconds left tied it at 55. Then Jaxon Kohler missed for Michigan State, giving the Terrapins a chance to win with the shot clock off.
Gillespie missed a 3-pointer, and there was just enough time for Kohler to rebound and flip the ball to Holloman, who was 2 of 11 from the field at that point.
“Holloman hadn’t made a shot all night, so once he released it, I knew the thing was going in,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said.
Willard wasn’t too hard on Gillespie after his missed 3 left Michigan State time for a final heave. “Maybe if he waits, he doesn’t get an open look. I trust Kobi. He’s been great all year,” Willard said. “At the end of the day, the kid still had to hit a 60-footer to beat you. So, yes, do you want him to take the last shot? Absolutely. But it’s not like he took it at six seconds and Holloman was able to dribble up and get a layup.”
For Holloman, it was a chance to prove that shooting from midcourt isn’t just a way to goof around at practice.
