Spartans Rally Past Maryland, 62-58, To Reach Big Ten Championship Game
Travis Trice scored 20 points as Michigan State rallied to beat No. 8 Maryland, 62-58, on Saturday in the Big Ten semifinals.
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Travis Trice scored 20 points as Michigan State rallied to beat No. 8 Maryland, 62-58, on Saturday in the Big Ten semifinals.
Travis Trice scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half as the Spartans (22-10) advanced to the Big Ten semifinals for the fifth straight year.
The Wolverines (15-15, 8-10 Big Ten) finished a disappointing regular season on a positive note, winning for only the second time in their last nine games.
The Spartans (21-10, 11-6) have won two straight and six of eight as they try to earn the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Wisconsin wasn't about to let up after clinching at least a tie for the Big Ten title last weekend.
No. 5 Wisconsin clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title with a 68-61 victory Sunday over Michigan State.
The Wolverines went 19 for 52 from the floor, including 5 for 21 beyond the arc, in losing for the sixth time in seven games.
Last season, Michigan State lost to two teams: Oregon and Ohio State, who matched up against one another in the national championship game.
The conference said Friday it has reached out to members to see if they are interested "in beginning a national discussion regarding a year of readiness for student-athletes."
Michigan State's Denzel Valentine celebrated Feb. 14 in style, sinking a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining to give Michigan State a 59-56 victory over No. 23 Ohio State.
Down by three to Michigan late Thursday night, Illinois needed the ball and they needed a basket.
The Spartans finished 7 of 18 at the line, showing why they entered the game 14th in the conference in free throws and 321st in the nation.
The national champion Buckeyes were again, and predictably, the best in the Big Ten in this year's recruiting class.
Tom Izzo sounded glad the game was over.
Although neither team is ranked, Sunday's game is still a big one with potential NCAA tournament implications.
When the clock expired at the end of Michigan's overtime loss to Wisconsin over the weekend, a significant portion of the crowd at Crisler Center began applauding.
The Wolverines tied the game on Derrick Walton's 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in regulation, but the Badgers went right back to their 7-footer, Kaminsky, in overtime.
MSU's Travis Trice scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half, and Denzel Valentine finished with 21. Branden Dawson tied a career-high with 18 rebounds to go with his eight points.
Freshman Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman nailed a 3-pointer with less than a minute to go, giving Michigan (11-7, 4-2 Big Ten) a 56-52 lead with 1:02 left.
Ohio State's thrashing of Oregon in the title game was more than just an ego boost for the Big Ten.
The Wolverines trailed 49-40 after Minnesota's Nate Mason made 3-pointer with 8:56 remaining, but the Golden Gophers went nearly seven minutes before their next field goal.
Later this week the Heisman Trophy will add one new member to the most exclusive fraternity in sports. It is widely expected that Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota will hear his name announced as the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, which would make him the first player in program history to win the highest individual honor in college football.
The stage is now set for the first College Football Playoff, and it is going to be fantastic. Unfortunately, somebody had to be left out of the big party, and this year the Big 12 saw not one but two worthy candidates be shutout of the playoff.
This week's slate of conference championship games not only serves as an appetizer or opening round to the College Football Playoff, but it doubles as the grand stage for this year's top Heisman candidates to showcase their stuff and perhaps offer a signature Heisman moment before the votes are due.
The College Football Playoff will determine college football's first national champion in the new playoff model in January, but the real playoff begins this weekend.
