ATLANTA (AP) — Tom Izzo pounded the scorers' table in frustration.
He cusped his hands behind his head, struggling to figure out some way for his Michigan State team to make a few baskets in the NCAA Tournament's South Region final.
During an especially excruciating sequence for the Spartans, he couldn't even bear to watch as one shot after another clanked off the rim, even as his ever-hustling players grabbed three straight offensive rebounds.
Izzo looked away, shaking his head.
A quarter-century after his lone national championship, the title drought for one of college basketball's greatest coaches stretched to another year Sunday.
The cold-shooting Spartans fell behind by 15 points in the opening minutes and never could fight all the way back against the top overall seed in the tournament, falling to Auburn 70-64.
With a roster that Izzo described as one of his favorites of a three-decade career, if not the most talented, Michigan State made only 24 of 64 shots (34.4%) from the field, including 7 of 23 from 3-point range.
There was no shortage of effort from the Spartans.
Just not enough baskets.
The 70-year-old Izzo had been 10-0 against Southeastern Conference teams in the NCAA Tournament. But that perfect mark came to an end in Atlanta, sending the Tigers to the Final Four and ending Michigan State's season.
After running away with the Big Ten championship, the Spartans came up one win shy of Izzo's ninth Final Four appearance.
He remains at one national title, captured way back in 2000 when a team led by Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson knocked off Florida in the championship game in Indianapolis.
That squad included a freshman star-in-the-making named Jason Richardson.
On Sunday, in a sign of Izzo's longevity, he coached a team that included Richardson's son, Jase.
In the final minute, with his team's fate sealed, Izzo briefly plopped down in a chair with an Elite Eight towel draped over the back.
That was as far as these Spartans would get.
With 4.3 seconds left, Izzo waved his arms toward his players, telling them to let the clock run out. Then, with his head bowed, he walked slowly toward Auburn coach Bruce Pearl to exchange a handshake and hug.
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