Reader: Michigan St.’s rough stuff went way over the line
Editor: I have never in my life seen such a terrible, criminal, illegal officiating theft of a basketball game. Revolting. Sickening.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo clearly sent his players out to use every dirty trick in the books, and flagrantly foul Ohio State on every shot in the paint — and the referees just let it happen! To the very end. Izzo should be ashamed and embarrassed.
It was in the true Bob Huggins and Nolan Richardson tradition of fouling so much, officials just quit calling them. E.J. Liddell was getting held, mugged and fouled every time he shot the ball.
If you want to do the courageous thing, you will expose this travesty of a game.
It’s an embarrassment to the Big Ten. It warrants a formal complaint to the Big Ten.
But of course, nothing will happen. When Chris Holtmann gets ejected with two technicals, that alone should say enough.
Will anyone have the guts to publicize this travesty?
John Mariotti, Powell
John: I’m assuming you watched the same physical game I did, though I admit that I not once thought to launch a congressional investigation. Ohio State got the worst of the calls, sure, but let’s just say Liddell dished out as much as he received. This is Big Ten basketball, just like it always has been. Brian Cardinal would laugh at your outrage.
Ray: As I watched the OSU basketball
team lose against Michigan in the biggest game of the season, I can’t help but wonder why do their sports teams more times than not choke in big games or lose against clearly overmatched opponents.
For example, in bowl games against Southeastern Conference teams the football team is 2-11. This is not the 1960s or ’70s when OSU was the top dog and all they had to do is show up to win. That has not been the case consistently for some time.
I have to laugh when I hear OSU fans say they have the best football team or best athletic program in the country. Far from it. This year, for an unusual
change, the Big Ten is the best basketball conference in the country. For football not so much.
What is it going to take for the football team to reach the Alabama class or the basketball team to be at the Villanova, Gonzaga, Michigan class?
Mickey Geslak, Galena
Mickey: After all these years, I think I’ve finally figured you out. You’re the guy at the state fair who sits on the collapsible board inside the dunk tank and talks smack at passersby, trying to get them to pay money to throw balls at a target to send you into the water. Three tries for $5. High and dry.
rstein@dispatch.com
Christopher Bell will let others decide if his triumph on the Daytona International Speedway road course was a statement win, but Bell knew transitioning back into Joe Gibbs Racing this year was big.
“I knew going to Joe Gibbs Racing that this is my time,” he said. “I’m either going to put up or shut up. I’m very grateful for how it’s played out so far between the first two weeks. It’s a dream come true to be able to drive for the Coach, have all of our great partners. Those guys are who made it happen. I just want so bad to be in this No. 20 car for the rest of my career. I need to perform well to do that. I got to stay after it.”
Gibbs chose Bell over Erik Jones. It was a decision the Hall of Fame team owner had to make after Bob Leavine, who was fielding a car for Bell, decided he was selling his team and closing up at the end of last year. Bell was brought back in-house and paired with two-time champion crew chief Adam Stevens for his second Cup Series season.
Last Sunday, Bell won in his 38th start. He led the final two laps on the road course at Daytona International Speedway after chasing down Joey Logano and making the winning pass.
“It’s a huge deal for us,” Gibbs said. “To have Christopher, everything that he kind of fought through last year and then to come back this year. When you think about it, Christopher got in that car last year and never made a lap and was going to racetracks. It was a lot to overcome. And he did show speed at a number of racetracks. It was great for him to get that victory. … To have Christopher already in the playoffs, it’s a big deal for us, for sure. It’s hard to do, put it that way.”
No. 18 Texas Tech 68, No. 14 Texas 59: Mac Mcclung had 16 points to lead five Texas Tech players in double figures and the host Red Raiders (15-8, 7-7 Big 12) snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Texas (14-7, 8-6) on Saturday.
The game was tied at halftime, but Texas Tech went ahead to stay when six different players scored in a 19-6 run to open the second half. That spurt came over a nearly nine-minute span when the Longhorns got all of their points on free throws while missing 11 shots in a row.
Texas Tech had its largest lead at 5239 on a jumper by Marcus Santos-silva with 11:29 left in the game. The Longhorns finally got that first field goal of the second half when Brock Cunningham made a 3-pointer.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had 11 points for the Red Raiders, while Santos-silva, Kyler Edwards and Kevin Mccullar each had 10. Santos-silva had nine rebounds.
Jericho Sims had 11 points to lead Texas, which played the first of four consecutive road games to end the regular season. That includes three makeup games next week. Matt Coleman III had 10 points.
Mcclung had only five points before halftime, when he made consecutive baskets after steals by Mccullar as the Red Raiders scored eight points in just over a minute to take their first lead.
The Longhorns had their largest lead at 24-17 on a dunk by Andrew Jones with 6:09 left in the first half before Edwards hit a 3-pointer for Tech.
Consecutive steals by Mccullar led to a fastbreak layup by Mcclung, followed by a 3 that made it 25-24. Mccullar made a jumper with 19 seconds left, but Texas tied the game 33-all on after Coleman’s long 3 from the right wing in front of the Texas Tech bench to end the first half.
No. 3 Michigan 73, Indiana 57: Franz Wagner matched his season high with 21 points and Isaiah Livers added 16 points and 10 rebounds to help Michigan (18-1, 13-1 Big Ten) pull away for a victory at Indiana (12-12, 7-10).
The Wolverines took another major step toward the league title by winning
their seventh straight, improving to 5-0 since resuming play following a COVID-19 pause, and capturing their third straight victory in Bloomington. They’ve won nine straight in the series since their last loss in February 2016.
Aljami Durham led Indiana with 15 points and Race Thompson finished with 11 points and six rebounds. The Hoosiers have lost three in a row and four of their last five as they fight for an NCAA Tournament spot.
It didn’t take long for Michigan break it open.
Mike Smith started the decisive 10-0 spurt with a 3-pointer midway through the first half and capped it by making two free throws for a 32-21 lead. After the Hoosiers answered with five straight to cut the deficit to six, Michigan went on a 10-3 run for a 42-39 lead. Indiana never recovered.
No. 5 Illinois 74, Wisconsin 69: Kofi Cockburn scored 19 points and Illinois (18-6, 15-4 Big Ten) held off host Wisconsin (16-9, 10-8) to win and complete
its first regular-season sweep in this series since 2005.
After Wisconsin trailed by 13 points with less than three minutes left, D’mitrik Trice nearly brought the Badgers all the way back by scoring 19 points in the final 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Trice’s 3pointer cut Illinois’ lead to 70-69 with 6.7 seconds left.
After Illinois’ Trent Frazier sank two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining, Illinois fouled Trevor Anderson with 1.9 seconds left before Wisconsin could attempt a tying free throw. An exchange of words near the Wisconsin bench followed that foul and resulted in offsetting technicals.
Anderson missed the next two free throws, then Grandison hit a pair of free throws to account for the final scoring.
Trice finished with 29 points and had all of Wisconsin’s final 19 points.
Andre Curbelo scored 17 points and Da’monte Williams had 12 for Illinois, which won despite a season-high 20 turnovers. Micah Potter had 15 points for
Wisconsin.
No. 20 Arkansas 83, LSU 75: Justin Smith had 19 points and 10 rebounds, helping host Arkansas (19-5, 11-4 SEC) beat Cameron Thomas and LSU (14-8, 9-6).
The Razorbacks had four players score in double figures in their sixth straight win. Moses Moody had 18 points on 3-for-14 shooting, and reserve J.D. Notae also scored 18.
Arkansas grabbed control with a 16-2 run in the second half. Jalen Tate made two foul shots, Davonte Davis scored and Moody capped the surge with a layup, making it 72-55 with 7:04 left.
LSU, one of the highest scoring teams in Division I, went without a field goal for more than five minutes during the key stretch.
Arkansas reached the bonus with 11:46 left and made eight foul shots during its big run. The Razorbacks went 23 of 31 from the line for the game. LSU committed 22 fouls, including 13 in the second half.
Auburn 77, No. 25 Tennessee 72: Allen Flanigan scored a season-high 23 points and had seven rebounds to lead host Auburn (12-13, 6-10 SEC) to a victory over Tennessee (16-7, 9-7).
The Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak even without freshman point guard Sharife Cooper, out for the second straight game with a left ankle injury.
They had five players score in double figures against the Volunteers, a onetime Top 10 team that did make a late charge led by freshmen Keon Johnson and Jared Springer.
It wasn’t enough.
Devan Cambridge matched his season-high with 15 points and Jamal Johnson scored 14 for the Tigers. Jaylin Williams added 13 and JT Thor 10.
Johnson led the Vols with 23 points and Springer scored 20 while making 3 of 4 3-pointers. Springer added six assists and five rebounds.
Yves Pons finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Springer made a 3-pointer down the stretch before his steal, basket and subsequent foul shot. Johnson then added a long jump shot with 20 seconds left, making it 74-70. It was ruled a twopointer after an official review.