Michigan State big man Nick Ward suffered another hand injury during Friday night’s Sweet 16 game against LSU.
Michigan State was cruising against the Tigers in their East Regional semifinal game. Ward had four points, five rebounds and three blocked shots before getting hurt with around seven minutes left in the game.
As he went up for a rebound, he was undercut by an opponent while up in the air and landed on his hands to break his fall. Ward went down in pain because his left hand had taken too much force to support his body. He left the game and was examined by a trainer on the team’s bench before heading to the locker room to undergo X-rays.
Ward did return to the Michigan State bench after a timeout with under four minutes left. The X-rays were said to be negative and Ward was cleared for a return to play.
Ward suffered a hairline fracture in his left hand during the team’s Feb. 17 win over Ohio State. He was able to return to action and play with the help of the school’s engineering department.
