Spartans go 3-for-3 against Wolverines

Matt McQuaid scored a career-high 27 points, Cassius Winston converted the go-ahead layup in the closing minute, and No. 6 Michigan State rallied to beat No. 10 Michigan 65-60 for its sixth Big Ten Tournament championship on Sunday in Chicago.

The top-seeded Spartans (28-6) rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half and scored the game’s final 10 points to capture their first championship since 2016. No other program has won the tournament as many times as Michigan State, and this one was particularly sweet.

After all, the Spartans prevented a championship three-peat by Michigan (28-6) and beat their rivals for the third time this season.

McQuaid nailed a personal-best seven 3-pointers. Winston, the Big Ten Player of the Year, had 14 points and 11 assists as Michigan State won for the 10th time in 11 games. The Spartans were awarded a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face Bradley in the second round on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ignas Brazdeikas led Michigan with 19 points, and Jordan Poole scored 13. Jon Teske had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Zavier Simpson added 10 assists.

But the third-seeded Wolverines fell again to Michigan State after blowing their chance to win the league by losing to their rivals twice in the final four regular-season games.

Bryce Brown scored 19 points, and the Auburn Tigers won their first SEC Tournament championship since 1985 by routing eighth-ranked Tennessee 84-64 in Nashville, Tenn.

No. 22 Auburn (26-9) hadn’t played in this game since 2000, and the fifthseeded Tigers won their fourth game in as many days to capture only the second SEC Tournament title in program history. The Tigers now have won eight straight and 10 of their last 11 heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Better yet, Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl have become the nemesis to his old program, beating Tennessee (29-5) three straight times. Auburn ruined Tennessee’s hopes of winning back-to-back SEC regular-season titles for the first time with an 84-80 win to wrap up the season a week ago, and the Tigers also are the last team to beat Tennessee in Knoxville.

Now Pearl has his first SEC Tournament title.

AAC: Jarron Cumberland had 33 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 24 Cincinnati past No. 11 Houston 69-57 for the championship of the American Athletic Conference in Memphis, Tenn.

Cane Broome finished with 15 points and Tre Scott added 12. It was the second straight conference tournament title for the Bearcats (28-6), who defeated Houston in last year’s final. The victory puts Cincinnati into the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight year.

Armoni Brooks led Houston (31-3) with 17 points and Corey Davis added 12 for the Cougars, who were the tournament’s top seed.

In the second half, Cincinnati put the ball in the hands of Cumberland, voted the tournament’s most valuable player, and he responded with 20 second-half points.