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NEWS

Spartan fans fill bars, enjoy game regardless of outcome

Rachel Wright  and  Cutler Fetherston
March 31, 2001

Also written by Drew M. Harmon. With the eerie silence in downtown East Lansing on Saturday evening, it didn’t feel like MSU fans were ready for NCAA Final Four basketball. At least outdoors. Inside was a different story, as Spartan spirit flowed throughout bars, restaurants and local eateries. Jason Peach, a 1997 alumnus, claimed to be the second one in the doors of Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., at 11:30 a.m.

NEWS

Freshmen players step up during seniors final game

Eric Mckinney
March 31, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS - The Final Four is supposed to be a time for seniors to shine and freshmen to learn.But that wasn’t the case for MSU.In its 80-61 semifinal loss to Arizona, the Spartans’ first, second and third offensive options struggled to get started.

NEWS

Fans of all ages cheer from various locales

Jeremy W. Steele  and  Eric Morath
March 31, 2001

Bryan Budd didn’t care the Spartans were playing more than 600 miles away - he wanted to fire up the crowd at the Breslin Student Event Center.The no-preference freshman led a group of about 20 students near the floor in chants of “Defense” and “Let’s Go State” Saturday night while watching the Final Four game against Arizona on Spartanvision.“We need to keep the crowd up and in the game,” Budd insisted.

NEWS

Spartan supporters brave crowds at Mall of America

Mary Sell
March 31, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS - It was supposed to be neutral ground - a sports bar on the fourth floor of the Mall of America.But as MSU quickly fell behind Arizona early in the second half of the NCAA Final Four matchup on Saturday night, Spartan fans grew quieter while Wildcat supporters became more rowdy.It was soon clear MSU would not be going to a second-consecutive championship game.“It’s over,” said Heather Swartz, a Lansing Community College music freshman, with one minute remaining.

NEWS

Cagers fall victim to turnovers, lackluster shooting

Eric Lacy
March 31, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS - The Spartans’ dream of joining an elite class of programs who have won two straight national titles quickly faded away Saturday night, as a turnover-prone MSU squad fell to Arizona 80-61. “I thought they really played well,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said of the Wildcats, who scored 21 points off of 15 Spartan turnovers. “The key for us to win was to limit our turnovers, but Arizona did a great job defensively and that led to a lot of tipped and stolen passes.” Facing arguably its most athletic opponent of the season, MSU struggled to distribute the ball against a pressuring mixture of zone and man-to-man defenses. Sharing duties at point guard, senior Charlie Bell and freshman Marcus Taylor combined for seven of the turnovers and shot a mere 4-of-19 from the field.

NEWS

Fans plan for costly road trip

Jamie Gumbrecht
March 30, 2001

When Dane Miller won the lottery for a ticket to the NCAA men’s Final Four basketball game, he wasn’t sure if he would make the 627-mile drive alone.But the mechanical engineering junior’s friends (who, by the way, were ticketless) couldn’t stand to let a weekend road trip go to waste.Instead, they scoured the Internet on Monday for tickets that would take them down the road to the Final Four in Minneapolis, Minn.

NEWS

Politicians make playful wagers on Final Four

Steve Eder
March 30, 2001

An MSU victory over Arizona on Saturday will have East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows feasting on 20 pounds of Tucson chimichangas.In turn, a Wildcat triumph over the Spartans will have Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup eating frozen treats from Melting Moments Homemade Ice Creams, 313 E.

FEATURES

Crowe gets flack for obscene gesture

PRINCETON, N.J. - First Russell Crowe won a best-actor Oscar for “Gladiator.” Now, he’s won the support of Ron Howard after making an obscene gesture. The director defended Crowe, who stuck out his middle finger at a 21-year-old Princeton student who snapped his picture on campus as he prepared to shoot a movie scene on Tuesday. “He’s not a bad guy,” Howard told The Trentonian on Wednesday on the set of the film, “A Beautiful Mind,” which co-stars Jennifer Connelly and is due in theaters in December. “It was out of character for him.

COMMENTARY

Many programs arent covered

I thank The State News editors for their emphasis on men’s basketball coverage. The hockey program has been given its share of coverage because of Ryan Miller’s achievement (“Frozen Four is as important as Final Four,” SN 3/27). There are plenty of programs that barely get any coverage at all.

NEWS

Students, city catchin tourney fever

Eric Lacy
March 30, 2001

Spartan head coach Tom Izzo isn’t too concerned about being a one-point underdog as he prepares for his third-straight Final Four appearance. “It doesn’t bother me that we’re not the favorite,” Izzo said.

MICHIGAN

Students debate ruling

ANN ARBOR - Two days after a federal judge ordered the University of Michigan law school to stop using race in its admissions policies, the Rev.

COMMENTARY

Riot coverage should be stopped

The State News should start covering news, not rehashing old, painful memories. The article on the 1999 riot following the men’s loss to Duke was entirely unnecessary (“E.L.

MSU

Blanchard shares value of publicity

Eric Morath
March 30, 2001

Former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard told public relations students at the Union about the value of a good pair of walking shoes.Blanchard talked to about 150 students, faculty and community members Thursday about how public relations benefited him in government, starting with his first run at the U.S.

NEWS

Game fills up bars with Spartan spirit

Shannon Murphy
March 30, 2001

Local bars and restaurants are making sure you don’t have to drive more than 600 miles this weekend to enjoy the NCAA Tournament showdown. While the men’s basketball team squares off against Arizona in the Final Four on Saturday, students staying in East Lansing will have a plethora of hot-spots to choose from when deciding where to watch the game. And local establishments are putting the finishing touches on plans and decorations, assuring a festive atmosphere for the green-and-white faithful. Alicia Engler, a server at Harper’s Restaurant and Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., was doing her part Thursday afternoon. “I don’t know squat about basketball,” the 1998 MSU alumna admitted as she painted “NCAA Final Four” with little orange basketballs on one of the restaurant’s front windows.