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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 earlier 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 1999 -- 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. Adreian Payne had 16 points for Michigan State and his 3-pointer with 1:29 left gave the Spartans the lead for good at 54-51. After a miss by Brogdon, the 6-foot-10 Payne turned point guard, finding Dawson with a line drive lob pass for a dunk with 52 seconds to go. Harris hit a 3 with 39 seconds left to bring the Cavaliers within 56-54. Payne found another way to help the Spartans, making two free throws with 32 seconds left for a 58-54 lead. Brogdon hit a 3 with 1.1 seconds left to bring Virginia within 60-59. Gary Harris made one of two free throws to make it 61-59 and Virginias last attempt was well off the mark. Michigan State came up with a defensive effort that Virginia is known for. The Spartans held the Cavaliers to 35.1 per cent shooting (20 of 57), well off the 45.7 per cent they shot during the season and nowhere near the 54.3 per cent they shot in the two NCAA tournament games. Dawson, who averages 11.0 points per game, has scored in double figures in six straight games and he had a career-high 26 points in the third-round win over Harvard. Michigan State started the second half by missing seven of its first eight shots and committing five turnovers. Virginia took advantage to turn a 31-27 halftime deficit into a 38-34 lead. The Spartans went on a 13-2 run to go up 49-42 with 6:10 to go. Virginia, the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament champions, answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 51 with 1:51 left and then Payne accounted for Michigan States next seven points. Michigan State, which has become one of the favourites for the national championship since it has finally become healthy, shot 44.7 per cent from the field (21 for 47) and was able to score just over the 55.5 Virginia had allowed all season in leading the nation in that statistic. The Spartans, who started the season 18-1 and spent three weeks at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, shot 52.3 per cent in their last four games. The Spartans started the game doing what teams just dont against Virginia -- make shots. Michigan State made eight of its first 12 from the field in taking a 21-11 lead with 9:46 left in the first half. The Cavaliers allowed teams to shoot 38.6 per cent from the field for the season. The Spartans finally started to miss -- making only one of their next eight shots -- and Virginia took advantage with a 12-0 run that gave the Cavaliers a 25-23 lead with 3:30 to go. Joe Harris and Brogdon hit 3s in the run -- Virginia only had three in the first half -- and reserve Anthony Gill contributed three points and brought a hustle spark to the Cavaliers. Gary Harris dunked and Dawson scored on a drive to break a 27-all tie and give the Spartans a 31-27 halftime lead. These were the first NCAA tournament games played at Madison Square Garden since 1961. Cheap Nike Free NZ . Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, was elected Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years. Bach, the longtime favourite, defeated five candidates in a secret ballot for the most influential job in international sports, keeping the presidency in European hands. Nike Free NZ Sale . Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points, Shawn Marion had 22 and the Mavericks beat undermanned Philadelphia 124-112 Friday night, handing the 76ers their 10th straight loss. http://www.nikefreenz.com/.m. on Friday. Granger was acquired from the Indiana Pacers last Thursday for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen, but never played a minute for Philadelphia. The 76ers also received a 2015 second-round draft pick in the deal. Nike Free Shoes NZ . -- All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints met Tuesday for arbitration on his contract. Nike Free Shoes Clearance NZ . Rookie Marek Mazanec made 39 saves for his first NHL victory and the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 Saturday night. LOS ANGELES -- Staring down the prospect of an 0-3 series deficit, the Anaheim Ducks finally figured out a way to beat the Los Angeles Kings. Even if that way involved a third-period goalie change, two unlikely power-play goals and another wild finish. "Its been like this all year," Teemu Selanne said. "We sell tickets. You never know whats going to happen in our games, but weve got to try to make it a little easier." Selanne scored the tiebreaking power-play goal late in the second period, Corey Perry got his first goal of the series, and the Ducks beat the Kings 3-2 on Thursday night to trim Los Angeles series lead to 2-1. Anaheim snapped the Kings six-game post-season winning streak. Ben Lovejoys goal with 2:55 to play turned out to be the winner after two earlier goals from the Ducks long-struggling power play. Mike Richards then scored for the Kings with 30 seconds left, but the top-seeded Ducks hung on for just their third win in their last seven playoff games. "It feels good to put a seed of doubt in their mind, hopefully," Lovejoy said. "The Ducks are coming." Game 4 is Saturday night at Staples Center. Jonas Hiller made seven saves in the final 9:58 after rookie goalie Frederik Andersen left with a right leg injury for the Ducks, who bounced back from two narrow losses in Anaheim to open the series. Andersen was solid in Game 3 until getting hurt during a wild scramble midway through the third period. Hiller had to make two tough saves immediately after entering the game, but the Swiss goalie finished strong despite Richards late goal on a midair rebound of Tanner Pearsons shot while Jonathan Quick was pulled for an extra attacker. "Its a challenge for a goalie to come in like that, but it seems like this season is a lot of back-and-forth play," Hiller said. "We were just glad we finally scored three goals in a game." Anaheim scored just three goals total in two games at Honda Center to open the local rivals first playoff meeting. The Ducks regained their edge Thursday, while the Kings struggled to respond in front of their home fans. Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist, and Quick stopped 19 shots for the Kings, who hadnt lost since Game 3 of their stunnning first-round series against San Jose.dddddddddddd "Anytime you are down in a series, you are going to come in desperate, and we had to match that desperation," Kings centre Jarret Stoll said. "I dont think we did that. We didnt have it tonight. We werent good enough in a lot of areas." Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau curiously changed starting goalies for Game 3, replacing Hiller with Andersen, the Danish rookie who played poorly in all three road games in the first round against Dallas. Boudreau repeatedly said Hiller had played well against the Kings in the first two games, giving up just five goals, but Andersen beat Los Angeles three times in the regular season, while Hiller is winless in his career at Staples Center. The Ducks didnt have the same vociferous road support enjoyed by the Kings at Honda Center earlier in the series, but Anaheim still silenced Staples Center just 4:06 into Game 3. Ryan Getzlaf got the puck down low to Patrick Maroon, who found Perry in the slot for his third goal of the post-season. Perry, second in the NHL with 43 goals in the regular season, hadnt scored in the series. The Kings evened it when Marian Gaborik set up a one-timer for Carter, who hadnt scored a goal in the Kings last four playoff games. Anaheim couldnt score during a 4-on-3 advantage for 59 seconds late in the period, but Nick Bonino found Selanne with a saucer pass for the Finnish Flashs 44th career goal in 126 post-season games. Matt Beleskey went to the dressing room early in the third period after a hard hit on the boards by Kings captain Dustin Brown. The Ducks said Beleskey had a lower-body injury. Lovejoy scored his second goal of the post-season on a 2-on-1 rush with Andrew Cogliano, sending Kings fans to the exits. NOTES: Maroon extended his scoring streak to six games, the longest post-season streak by a rookie since Los Angeles Warren Rychel in 1993. ... Anze Kopitar, who had an assist, has a point in all 10 of the Kings playoff games. The last Kings player with a 10-game point streak in a single post-season was Wayne Gretzky in 1993. ... The Ducks are staying in a hotel across the street until Saturday, but theyll take a bus 30 miles back home to Anaheim for practice Friday. ' ' '