The defeat of the four Michigan state finalists leads to an unruly crowd on the streets, 23 people arrested

Cassius Winston (Michigan State), left, and Matt McQuaid react after the 61-51 loss to Texas Tech. (AP Photo / David J. Phillip)

Hundreds of disappointed Michigan State basketball fans have caused chaos in the streets of East Lansing after Texas Tech's 61-51 defeat of the Spartans in the Saturday night national semifinal, throwing bottles and destroying signs, according to the local police.

The East Lansing Police Department said Sunday in a statement that the crowd had gathered at a downtown intersection immediately after the match. About 30 minutes later, fans moved to another intersection where they started blocking traffic and throwing glass bottles in the air. The officials estimated that the number of spectators was between 1,200 and 1,500 at its peak.

The department said that 23 arrests were made Saturday night, all but one for minor offenses. The department also said that the fire brigades responded to 10 small fires in the city, which "consisted of small furniture and there was no large crowd around these fires".

Two street signs and a police van were also damaged.

Students and Michigan State fans have a history of unruly behavior after major basketball games. In 1999, following a defeat against Duke at the Final Four, thousands of students and supporters rioted off campus, causing damage of several hundred thousand dollars and resulting in 132 arrests. Smaller disruptions took place after the loss to North Carolina in the 2005 Final Four and after the victory of the school football team in the Big Ten Championship in 2013.

Police in Lubbock, Texas, were also busy Saturday night as fans celebrating the Texas Tech victory swarmed the streets around the school's campus, blocking traffic and lighting fires.

Videos and photos showed at least one fire on a street and a car returned.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Do not burn Lubbock before we get back," said Matt Mooney, Red Raiders goalkeeper, Sunday before training before the national championship game against Virginia. "I know it was crazy there, just be safe."

The city of Lubbock said in a statement that hundreds of spectators had gathered near the campus and "engaged in extremely dangerous and disappointing behavior, including property vandalism."

Associated Press contributed to this report.