When Terry Rozier’s shot rimmed out and the clock ran out, Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes started running toward the Michigan State bench — their mouths wide open and their arms imitating airplane wings.

The Spartans held a six-point lead and Rozier’s shot had no chance of swaying the final outcome. MSU head coach Tom Izzo stood in place while pandemonium ensued around him, soaking in his seventh Final Four bid.

Forbes and Valentine dodged their teammates and coaches that poured onto the Carrier Dome floor, harnessing the same characteristic that’s guided seventh-seeded Michigan State through four rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Untouchability.

“I had so much energy and happiness and everything was running through my head,” Forbes said. “And I just couldn’t stop. I had to keep moving and just live the moment out. No one could catch me.”

It took two halves and an overtime period, but the Spartans eventually edged fourth-seeded Louisville to win the East Regional on Sunday afternoon. Travis Trice — named the regional’s most outstanding player — led MSU with 17 points and iced the game with two free throws before Rozier’s miss pushed the Spartans to the pinnacle of college basketball.

Almost as soon as the game ended, Michigan State players wore hats that that said “Regional Champs” and shirts that said “Cut Down The Net.” And while two ladders were placed under the rim for them to do so, the Cardinals plodded off the court through a sea of Spartan green.

A year ago, fourth-seeded Michigan State fell to eventual champion Connecticut in the Elite Eight. The Huskies, like MSU, were a seven seed blazing through favored opponent after favored opponent. The Spartans are on an eerily similar run, already edging second-seeded Virginia in the Round of 32, third-seeded Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 and now the Cardinals in their latest upset.

“Spartan nation showed up tonight,” Izzo yelled as MSU accepted the East Regional trophy on a stage near center court. “They didn’t make it easy, but we’re going to the Final Four.”

From there, Izzo faded to the background and let his team enjoy the moment — players like Trice, Valentine and Branden Dawson, among other returnees, were finally able to shake last year’s Elite Eight loss.

Former Spartans guard and NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson took questions in a crowd of TV cameras. Spartans adjusted their flat-brim hats and repeatedly hugged one another. The only fans left in the Dome wore green and chanted “Go White! … Go Green!” across the court while holding iPhone cameras in front of their faces.

One by one, the Michigan State players walked up the ladder in front of the net to cut a piece off.

Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., whose pesky on-ball defense helped the Spartans hold the Cardinals to just five made field goals after shooting 53 percent in the first half, slowly stepped on each rung before raising his piece and inciting a large cheer from the crowd.

Valentine, who made big play after big play down the stretch, pumped his arms in the air to ask for more noise.

Dawson, whose putback off a Forbes miss gave MSU a two-possession lead with 36 seconds left in overtime, had trouble cutting off a piece and looked back at his laughing teammates for guidance.

After Trice cut off his sliver, a small piece of the net still dangled from the rim. The players looked around for Izzo, who was standing behind the ring of reporters on the 3-point arc and smiling at his team.

“Go cut down the last of it, Tom,” a Michigan State athletics representative said.

“No, I want the seniors and those guys to do it,” Izzo answered.

But no one wanted anyone but Izzo to touch the last remnants of the Spartans win. His players waved him closer to the ladder. The crowd chanted “Izzo! Izzo! Izzo!”

So he obliged, leaning on Trice before stepping up the ladder, snipping off the last bit of the net and raising it high above his head.

And in a very disappointing year for basketball in Syracuse, one team was able to use the city as a springboard to greater things.

Published on March 29, 2015 at 7:20 pm

Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse