Spartans keep heads in the game
No. 2 Michigan State arrived in Madison, Wis., feeling a little discombobulated with so many off-court issues swirling around the program.
The Spartans are returning to East Lansing with the outright Big Ten regularseason title and more clarity about the future of star forward Miles Bridges.
Cassius Winston scored 20 points and went 6-for-6 from 3-point range, and Bridges hit two late foul shots to hold off the Badgers for a 68-63 win Sunday.
The Spartans (28-3, 16-2) celebrated in the locker room after clinching the top seed in this week’s Big Ten tournament in New York. But coach Tom Izzo could sense the weariness among his players, who had some mental lapses against Wisconsin.
“I just think we’re a little mentally worn down from all the things they’ve been through,” Izzo said. “Handling the adversity that they’ve handled I think is going to make them better men for the next 60 years.”
It appears that Bridges’ short-term future is more secure after he was cleared by the NCAA following a Yahoo! Sports article Friday that identified him as one of many players who may have received improper benefits.
“I didn’t get anything, that’s the truth,” Bridges said. “I just want to thank the (Michigan State) compliance office and the NCAA.”
The star forward had 10 points on 3-for-15 shooting, missing all eight 3-point attempts.
Brad Davison finished with a career-high 30 points for Wisconsin (14-17, 7-11), including a 3-pointer to get the Badgers within three with 4.7 seconds left. Bridges sealed the victory with his two free throws.
Bearcats heat up:
Gary Clark led a 24-4 run that put Cincinnati ahead to stay early in the second half, and the 11th-ranked Bearcats held on for an 82-74 victory over visiting Tulsa to preserve their one-game lead in the AAC heading into the final week.
Cincinnati (25-4, 14-2) stayed ahead of No. 13 Wichita State (23-5, 13-3) in the race for the regularseason title. Wichita State plays at UCF on Thursday and hosts Cincinnati on Sunday in a potential showdown game.