COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP
No. 13 Indiana 94, Michigan State 91: MSU’s Julia Ayrault and IU’s Mackenzie Holmes went nearly basket for basket but, in the end, Holmes prevailed, dropping in a layup with 72 seconds remaining to ignite an eight-point finish by the host Hoosiers. DeeDee Hagemann hit a layup and a late 3-pointer to keep the Spartans close, but IU’s free throw shooters put the game away at the line. The Hoosiers dominated inside the arc, hitting 25 of 32 (78.1%) 2-point attempts, outpacing the Spartans despite their 66.7% mark (12-for-18) on 3-pointers. Ayrault finished with 25 points on 9-for-11 shooting and Hagemann added 19 points (on 7-for-10 shooting) and 10 assists. Holmes led all scorers with 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting. Next up, the Spartans (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten) host Ohio State at 4 p.m. Sunday (Peacock), then have the week off to prep for next weekend’s rivalry matchup in Ann Arbor on Feb. 18.
Horizon women
Detroit Mercy 68, Robert Morris 49: The host Titans held the Colonials scoreless for the final 5:29 of the second quarter in building an eightpoint halftime lead. RMU hit just two of 11 shots: a layup by Simone Morris 1:34 into the period and a jumper by Naomi Barnwell a little over 3 minutes later. UDM, meanwhile, had few issues putting it through the hoop, as Emma Trawally Porta had six points by herself and the Titans hit five of 10 shots going into the break. UDM’s defense got even stingier in the third quarter, holding RMU to just three makes on 17 shots to turn it into a rout. Kamari Forrest led the Titans with 13 points in 25 minutes, Porta finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Imani McNeal added 11 points, three assists and two steals. The Titans (15-10, 8-6 Horizon), who snapped a two-game skid Thursday, host Youngstown State at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Youngstown State 85, Oakland 79: The host Golden Grizzlies made their first two shots at the free throw line at the O’rena vs. the Penguins. After that, it got, well, a little grisly, as OU hit just eight of 14 foul shots in the second and third quarters. By the time the Golden Grizzlies rediscovered their stroke at the line — hitting eight of nine in the fourth — their shots from the field fell off, with OU hitting just five of 15 attempts from the floor in the final 10 minutes. Markyia McCormick led OU with 19 points on 4-for-9 shooting and Alexis Johnson added 15 points thanks to five 3-pointers (on eight attempts). Next up, the Golden Grizzlies (9-13, 5-9) will try to end their three-game losing streak with a visit from Robert Morris at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Horizon men
Wright State 92, Detroit Mercy 85: And the beat goes on — the Titans dropped their 26th straight game, dating back to last season’s Horizon tournament — despite a spirited second-half rally that got them within three points late in Dayton, Ohio. UDM feasted on WSU’s turnovers after the intermission to get within a basket with just under 4 minutes remaining, taking 23 shots (and making 13) to the Raiders’ 13 attempts (and seven makes). But AJ Braun’s three-point play with 3:46 remaining gave WSU some breathing room, and UDM couldn’t finish off the comeback. Marcus Tankersley led the Titans with 29 points on 9-for-14 shooting while adding six assists, and Mak Manciel hit five 3s in 35 minutes to finish with 20 points. The Titans (0-25, 0-14) next will continue try to avoid ignominy with a visit to Northern Kentucky — where they’ve won just twice in 10 tries in league play — at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Northern Kentucky 99, Oakland 89 (OT): Trey Townsend hit the front end of a pair of free throws with 67 seconds left in regulation to get the visiting Golden Grizzlies to overtime, but the Norse took over from there, going 6-for-8 en route to 19 points in the extra period, sparked by five points apiece from Michael Bradley, Keeyan Itehere and Randall Pettus II. Blake Lampman fired away from outside all game, hitting six of 18 3-point attempts en route to an OU-leading 24 points, and Hillsdale transfer Jack Gohlke hit seven of 20 3s to finish with 21 points. The Golden Grizzlies (15-10, 10-4 Horizon) will look to climb back into the conference lead with a visit to Wright State at 7 p.m. Saturday.