The most aggressive Thabeet got was at the end of the first half, getting in Marquise Gray’s face after Jeff Adrien and Walton got tangled up under Connecticut’s basket. There was some pushing and shoving, prompting Calhoun to come all the way from the other end of the floor to calm his players. But the dust-up fizzled quickly, and no technicals were even called.

Suton, who had the main job of corralling Thabeet, didn’t score his first field goal until early in the second half and finished with four points and seven boards.

Stanley Robinson and A.J. Price had 15 each for Connecticut, and Robinson added 13 rebounds.

“We couldn’t get back and they’re a good team in transition,” Robinson said. “I just give them all the credit. They’re a tough team.”

Morgan was Michigan State’s best player early on, but he’s struggled to find his groove since missing three games in February with walking pneumonia. He had just seven points in Michigan State’s last three games — that’s combined — and was 0-for-2 in the big win over Louisville in the Midwest Regional final. Granted, he’s playing with a broken nose and a plastic mask, but Izzo has been all over him to be more aggressive.

Apparently, he finally got the message.

“We needed someone to step up, and he stepped up in a huge way,” Izzo said. “Not only rebounding the ball, not only defending, not only being physical down there, but the way he scored and what he did.”

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Morgan scored 11 in the first half, including a couple of big buckets when UConn was threatening to take off. Little Korie Lucious, the back-up point guard who’s never met a shot he didn’t like, was a key contributor early on, too, scoring nine points in a 1½-minute span at the end of the first half.

It was Morgan again in the second half, stripping Craig Austrie to start an 8-2 run that caught UConn flat-footed, all but ended the game and threatened to bring down the roof at Ford Field.

Morgan stripped Austrie and dished to Draymond Green, who lumbered down the floor for an easy layup. Austrie missed a shot at the other end. Lucas — generously listed at 6-feet — grabbed the rebound and sprinted upcourt, splitting two Connecticut defenders with a shake-and-shimmy that gave him a wide-open layup. Wide open because those two defenders didn’t have any help. Thabeet didn’t even bother to run up the court to play defense, gasping for air with his hands on his hips.

After another Huskies miss, Morgan grabbed the rebound and fired it to Allen, who scored on a finger roll to give Michigan State a 53-49 lead.

The ball had barely dropped through the net when Calhoun barked for a timeout, and the Michigan State fans erupted. If Calhoun hoped the break would re-energize his team, he was wrong.

Green made a jumper, Durrell Summers a 3 and Green converted a pair of free throws. After Price missed a jumper, Green made his own from the top of the key to give Michigan State a 72-54 lead with 7:52 to play. He and Lucas slapped hands as the crowd roared.

“We love y’all!” Lucas yelled to the crowd during a postgame interview. “We love Detroit!”

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