Wolverines end Spartans’ big roll
Michigan was the best team in the Big Ten Conference at tournament time last year, and things aren’t changing.
Mo Wagner scored 14 of his 15 points after a dreadful first half and fifth-seeded Michigan moved within a game of its second straight Big Ten Tournament title with a 75-64 victory over top-seeded Michigan State on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, ending the No. 2 ranked Spartans’ 13-game winning streak.
Senior swingman Duncan Robinson said this year feels like 2017 when the Wolverines won the tournament as the No. 8 seed, the lowest seed to win the event.
“I think coming down the stretch in that championship game and how it felt, I think all the guys want that again more than anything,” said Robinson, one of five players in double figures in the eighth straight win for No. 15 Michigan (27-7). “We are one step closer, but we still have to stay locked in on the task at hand.”
Michigan will play thirdseeded Purdue (28-5) on Sunday. The No. 8 Boilermakers, who beat Michigan twice in the regular season by a combined five points, beat seventh-seeded Penn State 78-70 in the second semifinal. Michigan State (29-4) last lost to Michigan on Jan. 13.
Carsen Edwards scored 27 points for Purdue, which withstood Shep Garner’s 33 points for the Nittany Lions (21-12). #1 Virginia 62 Notre Dame 57: Devon Hall scored 17 points in his final game at John Paul Jones Arena for the Cavaliers (28-2, 17-1 ACC), who won their fifth in a row. Bonzie Colson, playing in just his second game since missing 15 with a broken foot, had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Irish (18-13, 8-10). #3 Xavier 65, DePaul 62: Trevon Bluiett scored 22 points, and the visiting Musketeers (27-4, 15-3 Big East) set a school record for regularseason wins while clinching the top seed in the Big East tournament. Xavier hung on for its 12th win in 13 games after DePaul’s Eli Cain and Max Strus missed three-pointers in the closing seconds. #3 Villanova 97, Georgetown 73: Jay Wright moved into a tie atop Villanova’s career wins list with 413 for the host Wildcats (27-4, 14-4 Big East). Wright improved to 413-165 since he took the job in 2001 and has led the Wildcats to the 2009 Final Four and 2016 national championship. He matched Al Severance, who went 413-201 from 1936-1961. #5 Duke 74, #9 North Carolina 64: Marvin Bagley III had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Grayson Allen added 15 points in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium as the Blue Devils (25-6, 13-5) clinch the No. 2 seed in the ACC tournament. Cameron Johnson scored 16 points for the Tar Heels (22-9, 11-7). Oklahoma St. 82, #6 Kansas 64: Kendall Smith scored 25 points and Mitchell Solomon had 16 points and seven rebounds for the host Cowboys (18-13, 8-10 Big 12), who swept the season series from Kansas, marking the first time that the Jayhawks (24-7, 13-5) have been swept in a homeand-home since 2003-04, a span of 103 series. #12 Texas Tech 79, TCU 75: Keenan Evans scored 23 points and the host Red Raiders (23-8, 11-7 Big 12) stopped a four-game losing streak. #14 Auburn 79, South Carolina 70: Bryce Brown scored 29 points, making eight three-pointers, and the host Tigers (25-6, 13-5 SEC) claimed a share of the conference title. The top seed in next week’s SEC tournament, Auburn earned its first league title since 1999. #16 Tennessee 66, Georgia 61: Admiral Schofield scored 23 points to lead a second-half comeback as the host Volunteers (23-7, 13-5) won a share of the SEC title with Auburn. Tennessee is getting a share of its first league crown since 2008 after being picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams by the league’s media before the season. Syracuse 55, #18 Clemson 52: Oshae Brissett and Tyus Battle each scored 17 points for the host Orange (19-12, 8-10 ACC). The Tigers (22-8, 11-7) entered the game ranked eighth in RPI and assured of its first NCAA Tournament berth in seven years. San Diego St. 79, #21 Nevada 74: Trey Kell scored six points in the final 1:19 to finish with 17 and fellow senior Malik Pope scored 16 as the host Aztecs (19-10, 11-7) earned the No. 5 seed in the Mountain West tournament. Jordan Caroline scored eight of Nevada’s final 10 points in the last three minutes and finished with 29 for the Wolf Pack (26-6, 15-3), who had already clinched their second straight regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Florida 80, #23 Kentucky 67: Jalen Hudson scored 22 points and Chris Chiozza broke Florida’s all-time assist record. Chiozza began the game tied with Erving Walker at 547, and had four assists against the Wildcats (21-10, 10-8 SEC). The Gators (20-11, 11-7) won their third straight, swept Kentucky for the first time in four years and secured the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament. Marshall 76, #24 Middle Tennessee St. 67: Jon Elmore scored 23 points and the Thundering Herd (21-10, 12-6 Conference USA) defeated the Blue Raiders (24-6, 16-2).
Air Force 83, San Jose St. 61: Jacob Van had 23 points and seven assists for the host Falcons (12-18, 6-12 Mountain West). Keith Fisher III led the Spartans (4-25, 1-17) with 18 points and eight rebounds.