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New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - After toppling top-seeded Virginia on Friday, the Michigan State Spartans will face the upstart Connecticut Huskies in the East Region Final at New Yorks famed Madison Square Garden. Watch Michigan State vs. UConn live on TSN with coverage starting at 1pm et/10am pt. Led by American Athletic Player of the Year Shabazz Napier, UConn has been playing above the No. 7 seed it earned in this tournament. The Huskies knocked off third-seeded Iowa State (81-76) in the Sweet 16, following a 77-65 upset of second-seeded Villanova. They are now attempting to reach the Final Four just three years removed from their surprising run to the 2011 national title. The Sweet 16 battle between Michigan State and Virginia was as advertised, with the fourth-seeded Spartans surviving with a 61-59 victory. The win was the sixth straight for Tom Izzos club, which includes their run to the Big Ten Tournament title. The Spartans are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2010, which was also the last time they made it to the Final Four. The 2010 trip to the Final Four was the second straight for MSU, which actually defeated UConn (82-73) in the 2009 semifinals before falling to North Carolina in the national title tilt. These teams have met twice since, with UConn winning both times to pull ahead in the all-time series, 3-2. The winner this time will take on No. 1 overall seed Florida in the Final Four next Saturday. UConn dominated in the first half and then held on in the second to pull off the upset of Iowa State. The Huskies led by as many as 17 points and shot 52 percent for the game, while holding scoring edges from both 3-point range (27-18) and the free-throw line (20-6). DeAndre Daniels (13 ppg, 5.8 rpg) came up big in the win, controlling the paint with a team-high 27 points to go with 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Daniels is clearly the most productive performer in close to the basket for the Huskies, who rely more on their talented backcourt. At the forefront of that game plan is Napier. The 6-foot-1 guard, who was a freshman on the 2011 national title squad, leads this years team in scoring (17.9 ppg), assists (4.9 apg), rebounding (5.9 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg). Ryan Boatright (12.1 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Niels Giffey (8.4 ppg, .514 3P percentage) provide depth and offensive punch out on the perimeter. After trading leads during the first 38 minutes of action on Friday, Michigan State was tied with Virginia at 51-51 with 1:49 to play. The Spartans then got a 3-pointer from Adreian Payne and a dunk from Branden Dawson to take control of the game, as they held on by hitting 5-of-7 free-throws in the final minute. Dawson compiled 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Payne had 16 points in the win over Virginia, as the frontcourt tandem powered Michigan State not just in that key stretch, but the entire game. The rest of the team managed only 23 points on 7-of-19 shooting. Leading the charge offensively is not a rare occurrence for Payne (16.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg), who is second on the roster in scoring, but getting such a productive effort from Dawson (11.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) was a surprise, considering he is more of a complementary scorer. To defeat the Huskies, the Spartans will need better play from their key backcourt contributors -- Gary Harris (16.6 ppg) and Keith Appling (11.4 ppg, 4.5 apg), who combined for a mere eight points against Virginia. Nike Air Max 97 Dam Sverige . -- Canadian ski cross star Marielle Thompson accomplished two goals in one race Saturday. Nike Air Max Plus Rabatt . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. http://www.reaairmaxsverige.com/air-max-plus-rabatt.html . Fognini won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 after Argentinas Carlos Berlocq had beaten Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 on the outdoor clay surface. Doubles are set for Saturday with reverse singles on Sunday to decide which team reaches the quarterfinals. Nike Air Max Thea Rabatt . The eighth-year point guard played in his 500th career game on Sunday, a 98-93 win over the Orlando Magic. Does he feel like hes played in that many games? "No," he said initially, before reconsidering. Nike Air Max 270 Herr Rea . According to Yahoo! Sports, the team has reached a five-year deal to play their home games on the roof of the Plaza Hotel and Casino.NEW YORK - Earlier in the week, after hitting a big three-point shot to force overtime in a win over Denver, Patrick Patterson expressed his desire to follow in the footsteps of Robert Horry, formally one of the leagues most clutch players. Big Shot Bob made some crucial game-changing, playoff-series winning jumpers throughout his 16-year career - a career that produced seven championship rings - but he wasnt exactly known for making magic on the defensive end. Patterson, a steady positional defender throughout his time in Toronto, may have even surprised himself with what he was able to do as a stopper on Sunday, facing off against an elite scorer down the stretch of the Raptors 95-90 OT victory at Madison Square Garden. I aint going to lie, it was a big challenge tonight as far as guarding one of the best players in the NBA, said Patterson, who spent most of the games final 11 minutes, including the five-minute OT period, chasing around Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony. My whole mindset when I was on him was to just deny him the ball as much as possible. Other than that, yea, Im not really known for my down-the-stretch perimeter clutch defence like that. But it felt good. My teammates had total confidence in me, the coaching staff had total confidence in me as far as keeping me on Melo in those crunch-time minutes. Thankfully it worked. Landry Fields, starting his third straight game in place of the injured DeMar DeRozan, and James Johnson drew the Anthony assignment for most of the evening. Although Fields - a former teammate of Anthonys in New York - had some success early in the game, the seven-time All-Star and former scoring champ would go on to have his way with both of them. Midway through the fourth quarter, with the score evened and Anthony carrying a decimated Knicks team - that had won just one of their last 11 games - Dwane Casey turned to the six-foot-nine Patterson, hoping that his length may cause some frustration. At the time, Anthony had 27 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting, having hit three of his five attempts from three-point range and eight of 10 from the line. Immediately, Anthony looked to attack Patterson off the dribble. He drove past him for layup and it looked as though the experiment may be short-lived. From that point on, Anthony made just two of his final eight shots, including one of four from long distance. He scored just five points over roughly 11 minutes and did not attempt a single free throw. His length and energy, his quickness and speed and his tenacity to deny it and forcing him way out to catch the ball and his overall defensive focus and understanding of where he is on the floor, Casey said of Pattersons work. He did a magnificent job. Its not a role Patterson is accustomed to, settling in as Torontos stretch four off the bench, but its one he could find himself in more often after Sundays performance. I told him he told on himself by guarding perimeter guys like that, Casey joked after the game. Yeah, this isnt my [role], Patterson said humbly. Normally its [Johnson], DeMar, Terrence [Ross] or Landry and tonight it was my turn. Its enjoyable now. During that time, no, it wasnt enjoyable. It was a little nerve-racking. But now its enjoyable. Im smiling, Im laughing, Im enjoying my teammates encouraging me saying: Next time we play somebody like that were going to put you on him. Just joking like that. Right now its enjoyable, its a lot of fun. I think hes just shy, Kyle Lowry said of Pattersons modesty. Hes just shy. He [doesnt] want to play it [up] too much but its impressive.dddddddddddd We dont expect it from him every single night but on a night like this when he needed it and he gave it to us, its just respect for what he did. Patterson, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting Sunday, has come on of late. Hes scored in double figures in eight of the teams last nine games off the bench, shooting 56 per cent from beyond the arc during the month of the December. In addition to his surprisingly effective defence on Anthony, the fifth-year forward has been making big late-game plays on the offensive end, including a go-ahead three-pointer early in OT against the Knicks. It wasnt pretty. The Raptors scored just 18 points in the second quarter, 14 in the fourth. They committed a season-high 24 turnovers, including Lowrys uncharacteristic nine miscues, and allowed the Knicks - shooting just 37 per cent - to hang around until the bitter end. But thanks to Patterson, as well as Ross and Lowry scoring 22 and 21 respectively, they were able to pull it out. It was one of those nights where everyone was struggling, Casey noted. Nothing would go. The ball would hit your hands and fall out of bounds, fumble it out. It was one of those nights you just find a way to grind it out. We had so many mistakes on both sides, even defensively but if you are serious about winning, you find a way to get it done and our guys did it. COACH DEROZAN For the first week of his forced time off, DeRozan reluctantly spent most of his day sitting on the couch, playing video games and watching the sport that hes used to playing at the highest level. Although theres still no timetable for his return to game action - hes missed eight straight contests with a groin tear - the Raptors All-Star guard has had enough sitting around, looking for and taking advantage of every opportunity to stay involved with the team while hes sidelined. DeRozan accompanied his teammates to New York, where he continued his rehab on the court at Madison Square Garden prior to the game. He has been doing core exercises with the trainers and shooting free throws after practice and before games for the latter half of this past week. The 25-year-old has also been making his presence felt behind the scenes, sitting in on the coaches meetings, something Casey had suggested shortly after DeRozan sustained his injury back on Nov. 28. DeRozan, in his sixth year with the Raptors, has been more than an observer, Casey said, calling him an active participant during these closed door sessions. We ask him questions and he participates, Casey said. Hes a sharp guy and he understands. The good thing about DeMar, he was here from day one when we put in the system so he understands what were trying to do defensively, he understands what were trying to do defensively. Probably more so than some of the coaches. DeRozan, speaking to the media last weekend, had said he was looking forward to studying the game in a new way for as long as hes a spectator. Hes confident that by spending this time - his first extended absence from basketball - watching through the eyes of a coach, hell be better for it when he does return. Casey has seen it pay off before. I think its very helpful for players to come into the coaches meetings, Casey said. Theyre always welcome. I remember in Seattle, Nate McMillan came into our coaches meeting with George Karl and it was huge to hear his thought process of what we were doing as a team from a players standpoint. And then lo and behold he turns around and becomes a coach. So its very helpful. ' ' '