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Michigan State 61, Virginia 59: Branden Dawson posted 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Spartans outlasted the Cavaliers in the NCAA tournament East regional semifinals in New York.

Adreian Payne added 16 points for No. 4 seed Michigan State (29-8), which won for only the third time in 13 tries in Madison Square Garden and will meet Connecticut on Sunday for a berth in the Final Four. The Spartans forced only six turnovers, but held the Cavaliers to 35.1 percent shooting.

Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points apiece for top-seeded Virginia (30-7), which had won 18 of its previous 19 contests. The Cavaliers were denied their first appearance in the Elite Eight since 1995.

The Spartans led by as many as 10 in the opening stanza before Virginia’s Division I-best scoring defense held Michigan State to a free throw by Dawson over the first 6½ minutes of the second half. Brogdon drained five free throws as the Cavaliers pulled ahead by four on three occasions, but Payne’s thunderous two-handed slam with 10:29 remaining triggered a 13-2 run that allowed the Spartans to take a seven-point advantage.

Michigan State went through another field-goal drought of more than 4½ minutes and Justin Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 surge that knotted the game at 51 with 1:53 to go before Payne drilled a triple following a timeout to put Michigan State back in front. Harris drained a 3-pointer to bring Virginia with two with 40 seconds left, but the Spartans hit five straight foul shots down the stretch to hold on.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Payne made all four of his foul shots and has converted 36 of his 37 career attempts in NCAA tournament play. … Virginia, which tied the school record for most victories in a single season with Sunday’s 78-60 third-round win over Memphis, fell to 0-4 all-time against Michigan State. … The Spartans, who had been knocked out of the Big Dance in the Sweet 16 in two consecutive seasons, improved to 24-3 when Dawson plays.