Michigan State Powers Past Temple

Spartans shut down Owls' high-scoring Christmas

By Mitch Pritchard

Posted Mar 20, 2008 4:44 PM CDT

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Michigan State Powers Past Temple — Temple Sergio Olmos, center, of Spain, and Craig Williams, right, react in the final seconds of the team's 72-61 loss to Michigan State, Thursday, March 20, 2008, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Michigan State reminded Dionte Christmas he wasn't playing in the Atlantic 10 anymore. The Spartans held Temple's 20.2 a game scorer to three points and beat the Owls 72-61 today in the NCAA Tournament, the Detroit News reports. MSU star Drew Neitzel was shut down the other way, but Raymar Morgan scored 15 points to lead the fifth-seeded Spartans into the second round, where they are 11-2 under coach Tom Izzo.

The Spartans (26-8) used a 15-2 first-half run to grab a 30-17 lead. Temple (21-13) had won seven straight, but with two-time conference scoring champ Christmas only hitting 1 of 12 shots, it was lights out for the Owls. "Christmas just had some shots that didn't fall," Izzo told the Philadelphia Inquirer said. "I still think he's a heck of a player."

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