The Associated Press

Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin advanced to the final eight in the NCAA tournament Thursday night, and the conference is guaranteed a spot in the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Friday, March 24, 2000

Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin advanced to the final eight in the NCAA tournament Thursday night, and the conference is guaranteed a spot in the Final Four in Indianapolis.

”We knew all year it was a great conference,” Wisconsin guard Jon Bryant said. ”It’s a gritty conference, a real tough conference – great defense and hustle.”

The Badgers, sixth in the Big Ten regular-season standings, beat LSU 61-48 in Albuquerque, N.M., to set up an all-Big Ten West Regional final against Purdue. The sixth-seeded Boilermakers beat Gonzaga 75-66.

”It’s just amazing to know that we have one more game – 40 minutes – and we’ll be going home to Indianapolis,” Purdue forward Brian Cardinal said.

The West champion will face the Michigan State-Iowa State winner in the national semifinals.

Top-seeded Michigan State, the Big Ten tournament winner and one of two conference teams in the Final Four last year, beat Syracuse 75-58 in the Midwest semifinals. Second-seeded Iowa State routed UCLA 80-56 in the second game in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Sparked by star guard Mateen Cleaves’ halftime tirade, Michigan State (29-7) overcame a 14-point deficit against Syracuse before a partisan crowd at The Palace.

”At halftime, I didn’t think we were playing hard,” Cleaves said. ”I don’t mind guys missing shots. I don’t mind if things aren’t going right. But if you’re not playing hard, then I’m going to get in your face.”

Michigan State broke a 58-58 tie by scoring 17 straight points over the last 5:54.

”I had to pick up the pieces at halftime when I got to the locker room,” coach Tom Izzo said. ”Mateen did most of the challenging. He did a heck of a job in talking to them.”

The Big Ten also was the last conference to send three teams to the final eight, with Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana making it in 1992. Ohio joined Michigan State in the Final Four last year.

Fourth-seeded Syracuse looked ready to run the Spartans (29-7) right out of The Palace. But Cleaves, who returned for his senior season with the expressed hope of winning a national title, wouldn’t let it happen.

Cleaves, scoreless in the first half, had 10 points – most of them early in the second half – to get the Spartans rolling. Morris Peterson scored 16 of his 21 points after halftime.

The Spartans took the lead for good on Charlie Bell’s banker with 5:18 left, starting the game-ending 17-0 run. Bell, who had acupuncture this week on his left knee, scored nine of his 12 points in the second half.

Iowa State reached the final eight for the first time.

”We’re a vast underdog coming up Saturday,” Cyclones coach Larry Eustachy said. ”We’re playing the best team in the country. We’ll have our hands full. We know what we’re up against. We’re going to have to play near perfect.”

Gene Keady, Purdue’s 64-year-old coach, is one victory from his first trip to the Final Four.

”I don’t care if I fill my resume out,” Keady said. ”I’ve had a great career. I’d rather make a 20-foot putt against my buddies.”

Still, one more victory, and the sixth-seeded Boilermakers (24-9) will be headed to Indianapolis, just a short drive from the Purdue campus.

The East and South semifinals are tonight. In the East in Syracuse, N.Y., Duke faces Florida, and Seton Hall plays Oklahoma State. In the South, Tulsa faces Miami, and North Carolina plays Tennessee in Austin, Texas.

MIDWEST

Michigan St. 75, Syracuse 58

The Spartans, who also needed a second-half comeback to beat Utah in the second round, shot 68 percent in the second half.

”They came out in the second half and made some big 3s,” said Syracuse guard Jason Hart, who had 11 points and 10 assists. ”We held them off as long as we could.”

Allen Griffin led Syracuse (26-6) with 14 points.

Iowa St. 80, UCLA 56

Marcus Fizer, Stevie Johnson and Michael Nurse had 16 points each as the Cyclones beat the sixth-seeded Bruins.

Jamaal Tinsley added 14 points to help the Cyclones (32-4) extend their winning streak to 10 games.

JaRon Rush, who directed UCLA’s eight-game winning streak after returning from a 24-game-NCAA suspension, was held to a season-low six points, going 0-of-5 from 3-point range. The Bruins (21-11) shot 33.9 percent from the field.

WEST

Purdue 75, Gonzaga 66

Jaraan Cornell led Purdue with 18 points.

Casey Calvary scored 20 points and Axel Dench had 14 for 10th-seeded Gonzaga (26-9). Richie Frahm also had 14 points, but nearly all came late in the game. He was 1-for-5 from 3-point range. Matt Santangelo was 4-for-18 from the field, 1-for-7 on 3-pointers.

”Everything was just a little bit short,” Santangelo said. ”That’s just the way it goes.”

Wisconsin 61, LSU 48

Bryant scored 16 points as Wisconsin held LSU to a season-low point total.

Wisconsin (21-13), which upset top-seeded Arizona 66-59 in the second round, has won 10 of its last 13 games, with the three losses all to Michigan State.

Stromile Swift and Jabari Smith each scored 12 points for LSU (28-6).