Michigan tops Maryland in Big Ten quarters

Michigan coach Juwan Howard was ejected midway through the second half after getting into a shouting match with the Maryland bench, and the No. 4 Wolverines won 79-66 Friday to reach the Big Ten semifinals.

Mike Smith scored 18 points and set a Big Ten Tournament record with 15 assists for top-seeded Michigan (20-3). The Wolverines rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit and will face No. 9 Ohio State in Saturday’s semifinals.

Michigan swung the game by ending the first half on a 16-2 run and starting the second half on an 11-4 spurt.

But during a timeout with 10:44 to go, Howard walked toward midcourt and shouted toward the Maryland bench. The refs called two technical fouls on Howard and another on Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon, who was not ejected.

Franz Wagner and Eli Brooks each scored 16 points for the league’s regular-season champs.

Eric Ayala scored 19 points and Darryl Morsell added 16 to lead the eighth-seeded Terrapins (1613).

NO. 6 ALABAMA 85, MISSISSIPPI STATE 48

NASHVILLE, TENN. » Jahvon Quinerly scored 14 points off the bench, Jaden Shackelford had 13 points and Alabama blew out Mississippi State in a Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinal.

The No. 6 Crimson Tide (22-6) will face the Florida-Tennessee winner in Saturday’s semifinals.

Playing as the tournament’s top seed for the first time since 2002, the Crimson Tide followed a couple of small early runs before going on a 17-0 surge over five minutes for a 4313 cushion just before halftime.

Iverson Molinar scored 18 points, Tolu Smith had 11 and Abdul Ado grabbed 11 rebounds for ninth-seeded

Mississippi State (15-14). NO. 9 OHIO STATE 87, NO. 21 PURDUE 78, OT >> Seth Towns scored six of his seasonhigh 12 points in overtime, and Ohio State beat Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Duane Washington

Jr. scored 20 points for Ohio State (20-8), which led by 18 at halftime.

Trevion Williams finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and five for Purdue (18-9), which had its fivegame winning streak end. Jaden Ivey added 19 points.