Spartans rally to beat Wolverines again
CHICAGO — Matt Mcquaid scored a career-high 27 points, Cassius Winston converted the goahead 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.
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. 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.
Ignas Brazdeikas led Michigan with 19 points. Jordan Poole scored 13. Jon Teske had 10 points and 10 rebounds. 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.
Michigan led by 13 early in the second half, but Michigan State went on a 13-4 run to tie it at 48 with just over seven minutes remaining.
The Wolverines were up 60-55 after Livers hit a 3 with 2:29 left. But Mcquaid answered with one of his own to start the game-ending run.
Michigan State forward Kyle Ahrens injured his left ankle and was taken off the court on a stretcher, and his status was uncertain for the NCAA Tournament. The junior averages 4.8 points per game. He will have an MRI once the softball-sized swelling goes down.
NO. 24 CINCINNATI 69, NO. 11 HOUSTON 57: Jarron Cumberland had 33 points to lead Cincinnati (28-6)past Houston (31-3) in the championship game of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Memphis, Tennessee. Cane Broome finished with 15 points and Tre Scott added 12 for the Bearcats. Cincinnati held the Cougars to 27.8 percent shooting from the field after halftime.
NO. 22 AUBURN 84, NO. 8 TENNESSEE 64: Bryce Brown scored 19 points, and Auburn (26-9) won its first Southeastern Conference tournament championship since 1985 by routing Tennessee (29-5) in Nashville, Tennessee. Auburn won its fourth game in four days to capture only the second SEC Tournament title in program history. The Tigers have won eight straight and 10 of their last 11. Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl have become the nemesis to his old program, beating Tennessee three straight times.