Michigan teams set for Big Ten semifinal
TOP 25 MEN NO. 2 MICHIGAN STATE 63, WISCONSIN 60
NEW YORK — The Big Ten Tournament didn’t get off to a great start for Tom Izzo and No. 2 Michigan State.
The ride to New York was delayed Thursday because the plane had to be de-iced. The top-seeded Spartans followed suit with a so-so start against Wisconsin on Friday, and they struggled most of the game.
The positive: Michigan State found a way to win its 13th consecutive game and advance to the conference semifinals.
Cassius Winston hit a goahead jumper with 7:17 to play and Michigan State beat ninth-seeded Wisconsin 6360 at Madison Square Garden.
“I was disappointed in my team, maybe in myself, too,” Izzo said. “I just didn’t think we played well. But like some of my equipment men and guys like that said to me: ‘When has it been any different with Wisconsin?’ ”
Miles Bridges led the Spartans (29-3) with 20 points and Winston finished with 17 in advancing to the semifinals today against No. 15 Michigan.
Michigan State also got big plays down the stretch from Matt McQuaid and conference freshman of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. in beating Wisconsin (15-18) for the third time this season. The last two times have been tough.
The Badgers, who had won five of their last seven games, had a chance to tie in the waning seconds. But the Spartans played tough defense and Brad Davison’s long, contested three-pointer from beyond the top of the key never hit the rim.
NO. 8 PURDUE 82, RUTGERS 75
NEW YORK — Carsen Edwards and Vincent Edwards each scored 26 points and No. 8 Purdue fought back another upset bid by Rutgers, beating the Scarlet Knights to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
Both Edwardses made free throws in the final 30 seconds to send Purdue (27-5) into a game tonight against seventh-seeded Penn State for a place in Sunday’s title match.
Geo Baker scored 25 points for Rutgers (15-19), the 14th seed. Winning two games guaranteed this tournament as a success for Rutgers, which won only three in the Big Ten regular season.
NO. 15 MICHIGAN 77, NEBRASKA 58
NEW YORK — Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 21 points and Moe Wagner had 20 as No. 15 Michigan dealt a significant blow to Nebraska’s NCAA hopes, beating the Cornhuskers in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
The fifth-seeded Wolverines (26-7) face top-seed Michigan State today in the first semifinal at Madison Square Garden.
Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman were both limited by foul trouble in Michigan’s opening tournament victory against Iowa. The Wolverines’ stars fouled out in the overtime game against the Hawkeyes, but Michigan survived without them.
Against the fourth-seeded Huskers (22-10), Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman were full-go and Nebraska could not do much to stop them. Wagner drove the baseline for a dunk late in the first half that helped the Michigan go up 34-24 at the break.
Abdur-Rahkman’s three with 6:01 left in the second half made it 61-42 for the Wolverines. The many Michigan fans at the Garden spent the rest of the game singing the school’s familiar fight song — “Hail to the victors valiant” — chanting “N-I-T” at Nebraska and savoring a chance to knock off the rival Spartans.
DAVIDSON 63, NO. 17 RHODE ISLAND 61
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Jon Axel Gudmundsson’s driving layup with 3.1 seconds left lifted Davidson to an upset over No. 17 Rhode Island.
Peyton Aldridge had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats (18-11, 13-5 Atlantic 10). Gudmundsson finished with 11 points.
The Rams (23-6, 15-3) squandered a 6-point lead in the final 41 seconds after missing the front end of three consecutive 1-and-1 free throws.