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MSU beaten by NC in NCAA Final; local crowds calm

By AP/Rob South

East Lansing, MI – East Lansing, MI (WKAR) - Michigan State's magic evaporated when North Carolina claimed its fifth NCAA basketball championship with an 89-72 victory over the Spartans.

North Carolina started the season as the unanimous No. 1 pick and breezed through the tournament. They became the first team to win all six games by double digits since Duke in 2001.

The Spartans lost for the first time in three championship game appearances.

Last night's Spartan defeat did little to dampen the spirits of fans on the MSU campus. Thousands of people crowded the streets in Cedar village as soon as the loss to North Carolina became official.

Freezing weather and a crushing defeat by the Tar-Heels weren't enough to keep the crowds from celebrating. The loud, but peaceful crowd hit the streets as soon as the final buzzer ended.

Police say there were fewer problems and fewer arrests than Saturday when the Spartans beat the University of Connecticut. East Lansing police chief Tom Wiebert says 21 people were arrested last night. Police cleared the crowd from Cedar Village just before 2:00 a.m.

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