Michigan stops losing streak with comfortable victory at Nebraska
Eli Brooks scored 20 points, Franz Wagner added 18 and short-handed Michigan pulled away in the middle of the second half for a 79-68 win over Nebraska on Tuesday night in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Wolverines (12-8, 3-6 Big Ten) ended a four-game losing streak, their longest since 2014-15, and won on the road for the first time this season.
They did it without two starters. Senior captain and national assists leader Zavier Simpson was suspended for violating team rules and Isaiah Livers is out indefinitely after aggravating a groin injury against Illinois on Saturday.
Nebraska (7-14, 2-8) lost its sixth straight.
Kevin Cross’s step-back jumper from the baseline gave the Cornhuskers their last lead, 52-50, before Michigan went on a 21-4 run to go up by double digits.
Wagner started the run with a 3 from the top of the key, and Brandon Johns Jr. made a 3 and dunked over Jervay Green on his way to a career-high 16 points.
Nebraska missed 11 of 12 shots over a nine-minute stretch and went scoreless for four while the Wolverines pulled away. Sophomore David Dejulius got his first career start in place of Simpson. He finished with five points and three assists.
Cam Mack made five 3-pointers and led the Huskers with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Cross and Haanif Cheatham had 17 apiece.
NO. 8 VILLANOVA 79, ST. JOHN’S 59: Saddiq Bey scored 23 points, Collin Gillespie had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Villanova (17-3, 7-1 Big East) won its seventh straight game, handling St. John’s (13-9, 2-7) in New York.
VIRGINIA 61, NO. 5 FLORIDA STATE 56: Kihei Clark scored 15 points, including a goahead layup with 59 seconds left, and Virginia (14-6, 6-4 ACC) beat Florida State (17-3, 7-2) in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was the first loss for the Seminoles in 10 games. Mamadi Diakite had 19 points and nine rebounds for Virginia.
CINCINNATI 65, SMU 43: Jarron Cumberland scored a season-high 28 points, and Cincinnati (13-7, 6-2 American) led the whole way during a victory over SMU (15-5, 5-3) in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have won five of six with Cumberland leading the way. He had 15 points in the first half, when Cincinnati led by as many as 17 points. Cumberland finished 9 of 13 from the field, and had team highs with nine rebounds and four assists.
KENT STATE 83, TOLEDO 70: Troy Simons scored 21 points, and Kent State (15-6, 5-3 MAC) rallied from 21 points down to beat Toledo (11-10, 3-5) in Toledo. Antonio Williams added 21 points for the Golden Flashes, who ended the first half with a 16-0 run but trailed 35-32 at halftime.
BOWLING GREEN 67, BALL STATE 61: Trey Diggs hit 5 of 8 3-pointers and scored a 25 points, and Bowling Green (16-5, 7-1 MAC) beat Ball State (11-9, 4-3) in Bowling Green. Justin Turner scored 20 points and Daeqwon Plowden added seven and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Falcons, who seized control with a 12-0 second-half run and held on.
BUFFALO 77, AKRON 74: Gabe Grant buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining then blocked a 3-point try as time was running out, lifting Buffalo (14-7, 5-3 MAC) to a victory over Akron (16-5, 6-2) in Akron.