5K Spartans fans gather at Detroit riverfront to celebrate victory

Detroit — As the final seconds ticked down, the dancing began in downtown Detroit.

MSU fans of all ages embraced and cheered as their Spartans moved into the national championship with a 82-73 victory over Connecticut.

Almost the entire crowd on the riverfront near the Renaissance Center was clad in green and white. Cups of beer were thrown into the air and fans screamed their lungs out.

With MSU’s game ending and the temperature continuing to drop, most of the fans began filing out of the designated watching area instead of staying around to see who MSU will play in the National Championship title game on Monday.

The estimated crowd of 5,000 got anxious when, with 1:24 remaining in the game, the large screen that was showing the game along the riverfront went black.

Seemingly every person whipped out their cell phones to call someone who was watching the game at home.

The game returned with a little less than a minute remaining, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

Carolyn Skinner, a 1970 MSU graduate, grinned and broke into a dance when the game ended.

“I’m just so happy for MSU and all the fans,” she said.

With almost the entire crowd being MSU fans, one has to wonder how many people would have come if the Spartans weren’t playing.

The Final Four party on the riverfront, known as “The Big Dance,” will continue on Monday for fans to come downtown and watch the game.

Posted 9:15 p.m.