INDIANAPOLIS — The Jayhawks had a plan, and for more than 36 minutes they executed it to near-perfection.

With 3:22 remaining, Kansas was out-rebounding the nation’s best rebounding team 35-25, and it was a big reason the Jayhawks led 60-55. Then, everything went wrong.

Kansas couldn’t hit a field goal and Sherron Collins, an 80-percent free-throw shooter, missed the front end of a one-and-one. But the Jayhawks’ demise began on the glass, where the Spartans erased their deficit with four offensive rebounds in just over a minute.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Basketball: NCAA Sweet Sixteen vs. Michigan State

A photo gallery of the Jayhawks 67-62 season ending loss to the Michigan State Spartans Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“Down the stretch, when it counts the most, we just kind of let our guard down and they out-rebounded us,” sophomore guard Tyrel Reed said. “It just takes one possession to lose a game.”

That damning possession differs depending on who’s speaking. However, the consensus play seems to be Michigan State’s offensive rebound after a missed free throw with 2:06 to go and Kansas still clinging to a 60-58 advantage.

Two possessions before that, Michigan State pulled within three thanks to Durrell Summers’ tip-in. Kansas had two chances to secure a rebound on that possession, but instead each went to a Spartan.

Michigan State center Goran Suton, who registered 20 points and nine rebounds, started the next possession with a defensive board. Again the Jayhawks forced a missed shot, only to watch the ball end up in Sparty’s control once more.

Kansas eventually fouled Summers and he hit the first free throw, which set up Kansas’ nightmare scenario.

“It came down to a free throw,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “They missed their free throw and come away with two points on a missed free throw because we didn’t secure the rebound.”

Summers’ second shot bounced off the left side of the rim, dropping toward big men Cole Aldrich and Suton. The two staged a low-post battle all evening, but Suton’s fingertip won the war as he out-reached Aldrich and nudged the ball towards Michigan State’s bench.

Summers hustled over from the free-throw line, toed the sideline and saved the ball to Kalin Lucas before falling out of bounds.

“That was a big change in the flow of the game because it gave them an extra possession and it led to points,” Aldrich said.

Spartan coach Tom Izzo called a timeout after Summers’ save and drew up a play that resulted in a wide-open dunk to tie the game.

“(Coach) always told us games always come down to one possession,” said freshman forward Markieff Morris, who pulled down seven rebounds. “That was the possession that hurt us.”

Lucas put Michigan State ahead for good with his and-one bucket against Collins.

Although Kansas’ big men — Aldrich, Marcus and Markieff Morris and Mario Little — combined for 24 rebounds, the Jayhawks’ only boards in the final four minutes came as the last eight seconds ticked off the clock and their season was already over.

“They wanted it more,” Marcus Morris said. “We can’t teach that, they just out-worked us at the end.”

— — Edited by Sam Speer