Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Sports

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As Rob Robinson's jump shot floated smoothly through the air, barely grazing the net as it sank through the basket with 4:42 remaining in the first half and tying the score 30-30 in the first-round NCAA tournament matchup between the No.15 seeded Robert Morris Colonials and the No.2 seeded Michigan State Spartans, a collective gasp could be heard throughout the country as basketball fans and bracket contestants alike began to wonder if in fact a potentially colossal upset was in the making.

"Everybody's eyes lit up, and we knew that we could play with them," said Colonials guard Jimmy Langhurst, who collected three of his nine total points in that breathtaking first half.

Added senior Jeremy Chappell, "For those first 16 minutes, we were competing, we were right there."

Then something suddenly went terribly wrong for the Colonials.

It could have been that the experience of the Michigan State players, or more precisely that of their legendary coach Tom Izzo, kicked in. Or that the inexperience of the Colonials finally began to show through, despite their valiant and inspired effort up until that point.

Or perhaps it was a combination of both.

But whatever the circumstances, the Spartans, making their 23rd appearance in the tournament, put a lockdown on the RMU offense for the rest of the first half, as well as the first 4:36 of the second half, totaling 9:18 of scoreless basketball for the Colonials as Michigan State went on a 21-0 run that wasn't halted until a successful free-throw by Mezie Nwigwe finally put an end to the drought.

The Colonials never recovered, failing to cut the deficit by any more than 13 points after that run, and eventually went on to lose, 77-62, putting an end to their successful season, as well as some of the most successful careers in their team's history.

"To win," noted Colonials coach Mike Rice before the game, "it's going to take the formula we've been using all year, along with a key ingredient. If we're going to be successful, honestly, it's going to take heart."

Heart, though, wasn't a problem for these Colonials, as they wore theirs on their sleeves, giving their all and never quitting, despite the seemingly insurmountable deficit they were faced with after Michigan State rang off the equivalent of a three touchdown lead.

Continued...

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