Markquis Nowell was not about to let a twisted ankle slow him down in Kansas State's Sweet 16 matchup with Michigan State. The 5-foot-8 point guard shook off the injury, scored 20 points and added an NCAA Tournament record 19 assists in leading the Wildcats to a dramatic 98-93 overtime victory.
Nowell twisted his ankle badly early in the second half. He hobbled over to the bench where the Wildcats training staff attended to the injury and taped the ankle.
After testing the ankle on the sidelines, Nowell re-entered the game and he immediately steadied the Wildcats. On one of his first possessions after returning to the floor, Nowell had the ball in his hands as he attempted to dribble through the Michigan State defense. As he turned the corner with the shot clock running down, he appeared to lose possession for an instant. However, he recovered quickly and turned to the hoop.
Nowell put up a shot from beyond the arc, jumping on one leg and beating the shot clock. The ball went in off the backboard and the shocking three pointer inspired the Wildcats throughout the second half.
Markquis Nowell's quickness and vision caused problems for Michigan State throughout the game. The Spartans were valiant in their own effort, and head coach Tom Izzo's team rallied in the final minutes to send the game into the extra session.
A.J. Hoggard had 25 points and 7 points to lead the Spartans, while Joey Hauser and Tyson Walker had 18 and 16 points, respectively.
Keyontae Johnson had 22 points and 6 rebounds for the Wildcats. They will meet the winner of the Florida Atlantic-Tennessee game in the Elite Eight.
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