NEW YORK
Branden Dawson had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Michigan State beat top-seeded Virginia 61-59 on Friday night to advance to East Regional final.
The fourth-seeded Spartans (29-8) will play Connecticut (29-8) on Sunday with a Final Four berth at stake. The seventh-seeded Huskies beat third-seeded Iowa State 81-76 on Friday.
Michigan State overcame a horrible start to the second half and then withstood a late run by the Cavaliers (30-7) to advance to the regional finals for the eighth time since 1985 – all under coach Tom Izzo.
Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogden both had 17 points for Virginia, which became the second No. 1 seed to be eliminated, joining Wichita State.
These were the first NCAA tournament games played at Madison Square Garden since 1961.
UConn 81, Iowa State 76
NEW YORK – DeAndre Daniels scored 27 points, 19 in the second half, and UConn held off Iowa State 81-76 on Friday to reach the East Regional final a year after the Huskies were barred from the NCAA tournament.
Daniels hit his first six shots after halftime, the only Husky to make a field goal for over 8 ½ minutes. His 3-pointer gave seventh-seeded UConn a 49-32 lead.
The Cyclones rallied late, pulling within 67-63 with 2 ½ minutes remaining. But senior Niels Giffey hit a 3 in the corner for his first points since the game’s opening moments, and when the Huskies (29-8) made their free throws in the final minute, the UConn fans packing Madison Square Garden could celebrate.
Dustin Hogue scored a career-high 34 points for third-seeded Iowa State (28-8).
Midwest Region
INDIANAPOLIS – Aaron Harrison made a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to give Kentucky the go-ahead points Friday night in a 74-69 victory in the Midwest Regional over in-state rival Louisville.
Harrison, Julius Randle and Dakari Johnson, all finished with 15 points for the eighth-seeded Wildcats (27-10), who will play Michigan in Sunday’s regional final.
Fourth-seeded Louisville (31-6) got 23 points from senior Russ Smith, who missed a late 3 with a chance to tie.
The Wildcats, who start five freshmen, led for a grand total of 65 seconds and took the lead for the last time when Randle found Harrison in the corner and Harrison spotted up and swished the shot for a 70-68 lead.
Michigan 73, Tennessee 71
INDIANAPOLIS – Jordan Morgan scored 15 points and Nik Stauskas had 14 including a key free throw to help Michigan hold on for a 73-71 victory over Tennessee in Friday’s first Midwest Regional semifinal.
The second-seeded Wolverines now will play 2012 national champion Kentucky in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
It’s Michigan’s second consecutive regional final appearance.
The Wolverines (28-8) led by 15 with 10 minutes, 55 seconds to go, but committed four turnovers in the final 97 seconds. Tennessee (24-13) cut the lead to 72-71 and had a chance to take the lead, but Jarnell Stokes was called for an offensive foul with 6 seconds left.
Stauskas then made 1-of-2 free throws and Tennessee’s long desperation heave was off the mark.
Jordan McRae scored 24 to lead the 11th-seeded Vols.
