Sports | NCAA Michigan State Powers Past Temple Spartans shut down Owls' high-scoring Christmas By Mitch Pritchard Posted Mar 20, 2008 4:44 PM CDT Copied 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." Read These Next "Admiral Piett" of the Star Wars universe died from COVID. Trump voter who supported mass deportations could be deported herself. Shooter opens fire on Texas Border Patrol Rescuer in floods gets a poignant question. Report an error