Michigan completes impressive Big Ten run
Michigan will hang another banner in Ann Arbor.
And for the second straight year, coach John Beilein’s basketball team will enter the NCAA Tournament with a blaze of momentum.
Zavier Simpson was a catalyst on both ends of the floor, running Michigan’s efficient offense and leading its lock-down defense, and backup big man Jon Teske scored 14 points as the 13th-ranked Wolverines beat No. 8 Purdue, 75-66, Sunday to repeat as Big Ten tournament champions.
Fifth-seeded Michigan (28-7) became the first team to repeat as Big Ten tournament champs since Ohio State in 2010 and ’11.
“We got better and better as the year went on,” Beilein told CBS’ Jim Nantz as they stood on the stage at midcourt, confetti falling everywhere. “You know, the team, the team, the team.”
Simpson finished with 10 points, five assists and five rebounds and Moe Wagner led Michigan with 17 points despite playing only 17 minutes because of foul trouble — which plagued him all tournament.
That’s where Teske stepped up. The 7-foot-1 sophomore scored 12 points in the first half and picked up the slack guarding Purdue’s 7-2 center Isaac Haas.
Simpson and Teske put an exclamation point on Michigan’s four-day Madison Square Garden party with 6:02 left in the second half. The 6-foot Simpson drove and dished to Teske, who finished with a one-handed slam over Haas.
That made it 66-48 and brought chants of “Tes-key!” from the Michigan fans — who showed up in droves for the first Big Ten tournament played in New York.
Purdue (28-6) chipped away late with Michigan missing free throws but it was way too late.
Haas led Purdue with 23 points, but Purdue’s top two scorers, Carsen Edwards and Vincent Edwards, combined for 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting.
This Michigan team has been Beilein’s best on the defensive side since he took over in Ann Arbor in 2007. It starts with Simpson, the sophomore point guard harassing opponents’ best ball-handlers. The Wolverines seemed content to let Haas have some room inside as long as they were able to limit Purdue’s three-point attempts.
Purdue entered the game shooting 42% from the three-point line and attempting 23 per game. The Boilermakers finished 4 for 17.
Loyola-Chicago 65, Illinois State 49: Donte Ingram scored 18 points and Cameron Krutwig added 11 points and nine rebounds as the Ramblers (28-5) won the Missouri Valley Conference championship and earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 33 years.
Radford 55, Liberty 52: Carlik Jones swished a three-pointer at the buzzer in the Big South Conference championship and give Radford its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009.
WOMEN
Marquette 73, Butler 61: Amani Wilborn led three Marquette players in double figures with 26 points, helping the top-seeded Golden Eagles (22-8) advance into the semifinals of the Big East tournament in Chicago.
With the score tied at 59 with 5:10 remaining, Wilborn led a 14-0 run that knocked out the Bulldogs. Wilbourn scored half the Eagles’ points during the spurt.
MU’s Natisha Heidemann had seven of her 15 points in the fourth quarter and Allazia Blockton finished with 12 points.
Youngstown State 62, UW-Milwaukee 58: The Panthers (20-11) erased a 17-point third-quarter deficit thanks to a 23-3 run but couldn’t cap the rally with a Horizon League tournament victory in Detroit.
Jenny Lindner led the Panthers with 15 points and 15 rebounds.