Wolfpack’s rally beats Hurricanes
Reserve Markell Johnson scored 20 points in 23 minutes and No. 18 North Carolina State shot 57% in the second half to rally past Miami 87-82 on Thursday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
The Wolfpack (13-1) won their seventh game in a row and are off to their best start since the 1973-74 team that won the national championship.
The Hurricanes built their biggest lead at 74-64 with 10 minutes left, but the Wolfpack responded by scoring 13 consecutive points, and Devon Daniels’ driving layup put them ahead to stay with 61⁄2 minutes to go. Miami went nearly five minutes without a point and missed eight shots in a row.
at No. 2 Michigan 68, Penn State 55: Iggy Brazdeikis had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and the Wolverines returned to Big Ten play with a victory over the Nittany Lions.
The unbeaten Wolverines (14-0, 3-0) weren’t always that dominant while playing lesser competition in December, and the first half against Penn State (7-7, 0-3) wasn’t all that great either from an aesthetic standpoint. The teams combined for 18 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Michigan led 25-20.
Minnesota 59, at No. 22 Wisconsin 52: Amir Coffey scored 21 points and the Golden Gophers put the Badgers in an early hole before holding off a furious late rally.
Minnesota (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) ended an eight-game losing streak in the rivalry with its first victory at Wisconsin (10-4, 2-1) since 2009.
at Purdue 86, No. 25 Iowa 70: Carsen Edwards scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half and the Boilermakers beat the Hawkeyes.
Matt Haarms had 14 points and Aaron Wheeler added 10 for Purdue (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten), which has won three straight for the first time since starting the season 4-0.
Tyler Cook had 24 points for the Hawkeyes (11-3, 0-3).
at No. 21 Indiana 73, Illinois 65: Romeo Langford scored a career-high 28 points, Juwan Morgan added 14 points and 10 rebounds and the Hoosiers defeated the Fighting Illini in a Big Ten matchup.
Langford shot eight for 13 from the field and 11 for 15 from the line for Indiana (12-2, 3-0).
Samson Oladimeji scored 20 points and Giorgi Bezhanishvili added 18 for Illinois (4-10, 0-3).