Hopes of a Big Ten final match up in the NCAA tournament were dashed after Michigan State fell apart in the second half against the University of North Carolina (UNC) Saturday night.

Crowds of rowdy basketball fans swarmed The Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St., and Sports Café, 244 W. College Ave., in hopes of seeing their teams move to the title game scheduled for tonight.

"Illinois has looked strong all year. They looked really good tonight," Adam Nelson (senior-nuclear engineering) said. "A Michigan State and Illinois match up would have been great."

Illinois defeated Louisville, 72-57, while UNC defeated underdog Michigan State, 87-71, in the Final Four round of play.

Illinois native Katie Whittaker (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies) said she picked Illinois to win the championship because she has been a fan "forever."

"They're No. 1 in my bracket," she said.

"They're No. 1 all season and I thought it would be a smart move," Whittaker added.

She said although she hopes Illinois wins, she secretly would have loved to see Michigan State upset UNC.

Brad Gething (graduate-materials) said that Illinois has many players that can score in double digits.

"They're not depending on just one guy each game," he said.

"They have someone to step up each time," Gething added.

Steve Halahan (senior-agricultural business management) said he picked Illinois to win the championship in his bracket, so he was not surprised the team won.

"I'm a Big Ten basketball fan," he said. "I wanted to see Illinois play Michigan State in the championship."

Halahan said he expected the Illinois game to be closer because Illinois has had some difficulties finishing strong in the past.

"Illinois went into overtime in the Arizona game," he said. "I expected a much closer game."

Michigan State's upsets of Duke University and the University of Kentucky caused chaos in some students' brackets.

"I had Duke going to the Final Four," Halahan said.

Dave Schager (senior-professional golf management) said he picked Michigan State to beat Duke in his bracket.

Schager, whose uncle is Michigan State's marketing director, said his ties had no bearing on his Final Four or championship picks.

"I didn't pick them [Michigan State] to win," he said. "I had Kentucky to win."

Other students were also surprised that Syracuse lost to Vermont in the first round of the tournament.

"They were not in their right form or mentally there," Nelson said.

Nelson, who grew up near Syracuse, said he's still bitter about his team losing.

"A major theme to this year's tournament has been the big teams losing," he said.

Although several students said there were big surprises in the tournament, some felt the two best teams made it into the final.

"They're the two best teams in the nation," Gething said.

"That's the way it's supposed to be," he added.