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Live from my desk: Temple-Michigan State

I wish I could be in Denver, but I'm stuck at my desk in Philadelphia. So join me for the next best thing: a live blog of the game.

I wish I could be in Denver, but I'm stuck at my desk in Philadelphia. So join me for the next best thing: a live blog of the game.

I've got Temple-Michigan State on TV and the early session's other games streaming online at computers nearby. Feel free to post comments below with your thoughts on the Owls' first steps in the Big Dance since 2001.

My most recent comments will appear at the top of the post.

FINAL: 72-59 Michigan State: Dionte Christmas missed a 3 from the left side with just undera minute to go, and Temple opted not to foul. A Mark Tyndale layup served as the last points of the day.

So Temple is out, as Fran Dunphy loses in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight time.

CBS cuts immediately to Xavier-Georgia, and it looks like the Musketeers are going to pull this thing out after trailing for quite a while early.

Stats and more to come. Thanks for reading along with the live coverage.

1:56 2nd, 70-56 Michigan State: Mark Tyndale misses a more-than-NBA-range three from the top of the arc, and the Spartans get the rebound. That could do it.

2:50 2nd, 68-56 Michigan State: Temple had cut the lead to 10, but Durrell Summers got a fastbreak layup to snuff out the momentum.

7:25 2nd, 58-45 Michigan State: Small signs of life, as a Mark Tyndale three is followed by a Michigan State turnover and a foul by Spartans guard Kalin Lucas. CBS cuts to Xavier-Georgia, which is the only competitive game of the early session so far.

8:38 2nd, 58-39 Michigan State: Drew Neitzel picks up his fourth foul. Raymar Morgan (15 points) and the big men have made most of the impact, but it's at least significant that Neitzel is off the floor.

8:50 2nd, 58-39 Michigan State: Naymick with a big follow-up slam to make it a 19-point lead.

9:25 2nd, 56-39 Michigan State: Fran Dunphy has called for the full-court press, but the Spartans have gotten past it and still have a big lead.

11:40 2nd, 50-34 Michigan State: Semaj Inge got a block, but dionte christmas lost the handle goign the other way and raymar morgan ran it back for two more points.

12:21 2nd, 48-30 Michigan State: Another Morgan dunk gives the Spartans their largest lead of the game, and Fran Dunphy calls timeout again. Michigan State has 15 assists on 19 made field goals, and the Owls are 10-for-37 from the field. Not good at all.

17:00 2nd, 42-26 Michigan State: The lead grows, as Fran Dunphy calls an early timeout after a Raymar Morgan slam. The Spartans have a 16-4 advantage in points in the paint.

HALFTIME, 36-25 Michigan State: It's a pretty big hole for Temple to climb out of, with Michigan State playing pretty good defense but the Owls also missing a lot of shots.

Temple shot 8-for-27 from the field (29.6%), including 4-for-13 from three-point range (30.8%) and a rather distressing 4-for-14 from two-point range (28.6%), and 7-for-8 from the free throw line (87.5%). Three offensive rebounds, eight defensive rebounds, two assists, five turnovers, one block, one steal and three fouls committed.

That adds up to 33 possessions and 0.799 points per possession.

Ryan Brooks is the Owls' leading scorer with 10 points; Lavoy Allen has six rebounds.

Michigan State shot 14-for-30 from the field (46.7%), including 2-for-9 from three-point range (22.2%) and 12-for-21 from two-point range (57.1%). Five offensive rebounds, 11 defensive rebounds, eight assists, three turnovers, no blocks, one steal and seven fouls committed.

That adds up to 31 possessions and 1.142 points per possession.

Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan have six points each; Goran Suton has five rebounds. Naymick does not have eight, as I wrote earlier; must have been a bug in CBS' gametracker.

In other games, Georgia is up by 11, 41-30, with 17:50 left in the second half, while Kansas is blowing out Portland State, 51-29, with 17:00 to go.

Columbia coach Joe Jones is in the studio for the streaming video version of the halftime show. His earpiece looks like it's not positioned right in his ear, though, which is a bit distracting.

0:54 1st, 35-25 Michigan State: Drew Neitzel answers by draining a tough three from the top right side with a guy in his face.

1:01 1st, 32-25 Michigan State: A two-pointer from Brooks causes Spartans coach Tom Izzo to call timeout.

1:43 1st, 32-23 Michigan State: Ryan Brooks hits a tough three from the left side to stop the bleeding.

3:41 1st, 28-17 Michigan State: Make it a 14-2 run, with Temple having hit only four field goals in the half. Fran Dunphy has taken his first timeout.

5:42 1st, 22-15 Michigan State: It's an 8-0 run for the Spartans, who have a 14-8 edge in rebounds. Five of Michigan State's boards have come at the offensive end.

8:08 1st, 17-15 Michigan State: Len Elmore spotlights Dionte Christmas' defense on star Spartans guard Drew Neitzel, who is 0-for-4 from the field.

Frankly, Charlotte's Leemire Goldwire is a more dangerous shooter, and Christmas did such a good job on him in Atlantic City that Neitzel might just be easier. Seriously.

11:51 1st, 11-9 Michigan State: Man, are there a lot of bricks flying so far. Temple is 3-for-10 from the field, while the Spartans are 5-for-14. Three turnovers each as well.

Just got the starting lineups for Temple-Michigan State:

F Fr 4 Lavoy Allen
C Jr 41 Sergio Olmos
G Jr 22 Dionte Christmas
G Sr 13 Mark Tyndale
G So 10 Luis Guzman

Michigan State

F So 2 Raymar Morgan
F Sr 34 Drew Naymick
C Jr 14 Goran Suton
G Fr 1 Kalin Lucas
G Sr 11 Drew Neitzel

Mike Kern just sent in some keys to the Temple-Michigan State game.