NEW YORK — It was inside a minute to play Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, as Michigan State headed to the timeout huddle holding an eight-point lead over Marquette.
A victory seemed nearly certain for the Spartans, a berth in the Sweet 16 about locked up after not making it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament the previous two years.
But to be in the Michigan State huddle, it easily could have been mistaken for something far more stressful.
