Concordia in NAIA Final

Behind the 29-point performance of junior guard Jeremy Groth, Concordia University (Calif.) defeated McKendree College (Ill.), 81-58, in the semifinals of the 2003 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I men’s basketball national championship Monday at Kansas City, Mo., to earn its first trip in school history to the tournament’s title game.

Groth had 14 points in the first half to help Concordia to a 35-31 halftime advantage, then came back with 15 in the final period to help the Eagles gradually pull away.

Sixth-seeded Concordia improved its school-record win-loss mark to 35-4 and will put a nine-game win streak on the line in today’s championship game against sixth-seeded Mountain State (W.Va.), which defeated Georgetown College (Ky.), 106-89.

Mountain State was 42 of 52 from the free-throw line. Junior guard Reynardo Curry scored 19 of his team-high 28 points from the foul line as he made 19 of 20 free throws.

Curry also had nine assists in the effort. Mountain State, which has won 13 consecutive games, improves to 32-6 on the season.

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Michigan State basketball fans overturned four cars, tipped vending machines and set fires in trash bins at East Lansing, Mich., after the Spartans lost Sunday to Texas in the NCAA tournament.

Officers in riot gear dispersed the crowd using tear gas. Seven people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, six of them Michigan State students.

The damage occurred Sunday night near the university’s administration building, where about 2,000 people had gathered.

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South Carolina State Coach Cy Alexander is heading to Tennessee State. Alexander, who guided the Bulldogs to a 20-11 record and a trip to the NCAA tournament, told his players Monday that he was taking the job.... Lisa Stone was hired as the women’s basketball coach at Wisconsin after going 64-27 in three seasons at Drake.