SPOKANE, Wash. - Korie Lucious has gone through some stretches during his sophomore season where he couldn't buy a bucket. And Michigan State's back-up point guard from Milwaukee has also gone through stretches where he has suffered a lack of focus.

There has, however, never been a time in his Spartan career where Lucious has lacked confidence. And as time wound down on Michigan State's second-round game against Maryland, Lucious did not hesitate to fire what was the first game-winning shot of his Spartan career.

"It was just basketball," explained Lucious. "I knew that I had to get it up no matter what. I didn't want to lose the game on not getting a shot. I just tried to get it up with the time running down and it went in."

Lucious was able to get the shot off as quickly as he did because he did not bring the ball down before taking the shot.

"When you bring it down it takes a lot of time," said Lucious, who has worked a lot of hours after practice at retooling his shot to get a quicker release. "I just try to catch it and shoot it, sometimes I have a tendency to bring it down."

Lucious demanded the ball from Green, who admitted that he thought about taking it himself.

"My thought was to push the ball up and knock the shot down," explained Green. "I got to the 3-point line and I knew that if I drove any further there would be a chance of them taking a charge. I stopped at the 3-point line and I was setting up to knock it down and Korie called, 'Day Day, 'Day Day, Day Day.' He called like three times so I threw the ball over to him. In the process Delvon (Roe) was coming through and he had to duck for the pass to get to Korie. He got the ball and took one dribble and knocked it down."

Michigan State had one timeout when Green brought the ball over the midcourt line. The former Saginaw High star was grateful to his head coach for not calling a timeout.

"I told coach as we were walking to the press conference, 'thanks for not calling a timeout,' explained Green. "If he was calling a timeout, he wasn't calling it loud enough if he was. He said that he almost thought about calling it but he didn't"
Lucas would have liked to have taken the game-winner, but he was pleased nonetheless with the way Lucious and the rest of his teammates refused to give in to ACC champion Maryland.

"They played their butts off," said Lucas, who was then asked if his team could get to the Final Four without him. "Yes they can, of course they can. We have Korie and DG too. If I can't play Korie can get it done."

VIDEO: Lucious, Green, Lucas postgame



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