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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 180 Nz . The Brewers finalized a US$36 million, three-year contract with free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez on Wednesday, adding a much-needed bat to their lineup. Air Max 90 Womens Nz . Mars announced Saturday that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will join him as part of his halftime show. Super Bowl halftime performers often have collaborators. http://www.airmaxnzwholeale.com/cheap-ai...x-270-mens.html. Now, Sarah Burkes legacy will live on in Canadas Sports Hall of Fame. Burke, who tragically died at age 29 from a training accident in 2012, headlined the 2014 class named for induction Wednesday. Air Max 720 Mens Nz . It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. Nike Air Max Tavas Nz . First, the Red Wings scored the tying goal after officials missed the puck hitting the protective netting, then the Kings wound up losing in a shootout. That could affect playoff positioning in the Eastern and Western Conferences, and thats a concern for everyone.TORONTO -- If the eye-catching smile doesnt get you, the electric play on the basepaths will. Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes gets peoples attention with his unique brand of baseball. Hes a dynamo with great range in the field and track star speed. And over the last week or two, he finally looks like the Reyes of old. The three-time all-star, one of the key pieces in a November 2012 blockbuster trade with Miami, was hampered by injury problems in his first season in Toronto. It was more of the same earlier this year as a tight hamstring kept him out of the lineup for a few weeks. Once he returned, it took some time for Reyes to find his rhythm. The leadoff hitter has found it now and his play is a big reason why the Blue Jays have moved to the top of the American League East division standings. "He makes us that much better," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "Hes really the catalyst because hes up at the top of the lineup." A revitalized starting rotation and homer-happy lineup are two big reasons why the Blue Jays are flying high. But Reyes has provided the powerful Toronto offence with a real edge since his return. With impressive bat skills and a constant threat to run, Reyes offers a nice contrast to the big swingers like Melky Cabrera, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista who usually follow him in the order. Pitchers have a hard time concentrating on the plate with a speedster like Reyes on base. "Hes so capable of stirring things up," said Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. "Hes one of those catalysts. Theres a few real catalytic players in the game and hes one of them." Reyes, who had three hits in Wednesdays 3-2 win over the Rays, had an 11-game hitting streak end a night later. He had his first three-steal game as a Blue Jay last weekend and wowed the Rogers Centre crowd by scoring from second base on a groundout. "Hes one of those guys thats hard to take your eye off of when youre watching a baseball game," said Toronto second baseman Steve Tolleson. "Hes able to do so many things offensively and defensively. Defensively hes able to play a little bit deeper than most shortstops because he has a tremendous arm and he has the speed to close in on balls that he needs to. "Hes in an elite group when it comes to that. Hes been a lot of fun to watch." However, Reyes isnt immune to the occasional hiccup in the field. He made a throwing error on a potential game-ending ground ball Thursday night and the Royals came back to win 8-6 in 10 innings.dddddddddddd He took full ownership for the miscue after the game. "This is baseball, sometimes mistakes are going to happen," Reyes said. "I just have to learn from it." Despite the occasional negative, the native of Santiago, Dominican Republic brings plenty of positives to the diamond. In a game earlier this week, Reyes dropped a soft bunt down in his first at-bat. He accelerated like a shot and seemed to be halfway down the first-base line by the time the pitcher left the mound to retrieve the ball before conceding the single. When the next batter belted one off the wall, Reyes was quickly in full flight and scored with a head-first slide. Its the kind of get-your-jersey-dirty, fast-paced style that fans and teammates love. "The last few weeks my leg feels good," Reyes said. "Its good to play pain-free. I dont have to worry about anything. Before, four or five weeks ago, I still had a little concern with my hamstring being 100 per cent. "But right now its 110 per cent." Reyes, 30, who won a batting title with the New York Mets in 2011, has seen his average rise as his comfort level returned. Entering the game against the Royals, he has reached base safely in 24 of his last 25 games. The three-time National League stolen base leader (2005-07) has also swiped 11 bags over the last 25 games entering Thursdays matchup. His well-rounded game is a big reason why Torontos offence is so feared. "When they made the trade and brought him in last year, I think thats what everybody kind of envisioned," Gibbons said. "Hes been banged up a little bit since hes been here but now hes healthy. "What hes doing now is really what hes done his whole career and so I think people are just really getting a look at it." Reyes also brings an infectious personality to the ballpark and is usually the first one out of the dugout to congratulate his teammates. More than anything, he has the ability to put the Blue Jays in a position to manufacture runs. Whether through stolen bases, sacrifices or just aggressive base-running, Reyes can often secure that extra base and create more scoring opportunities. "Im capable of doing a lot of stuff," Reyes said. "People (have) seen (over) the last few weeks what Im able to do on the field." ' ' '