Big Ten Conference Tournament: No. 8 Penn State manhandled No. 9 Northwestern 60-42 to advance to the Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals against No. 1 Ohio State. Geary Claxton led the Nittany Lions with 17 points and 10 rebounds as Penn State cruised to the victory. The Nittany Lions led by as many as 26 points in the second half.
No. 6 Michigan State advanced to the Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals against No. 3 Illinois by beating No. 11 Purdue 70-58. Senior guard Maurice Ager led the Spartans with 20 points. Michigan State withstood a late Purdue run that cut the Spartans’ lead to six as the team gathered its poise to hold on for the win.
No. 10 Minnesota dealt No. 7 Michigan a blow to the Wolverines’ at-large hopes with a 59-55 upset victory. The Golden Gophers will play No. 2 Iowa in the quarterfinals Friday. Senior guard Maurice Hargrow led the Golden Gophers with 15 points. The Wolverines are a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament, and the loss bodes poorly for them when combined with Syracuse’s big win against Connecticut and George Washington’s loss to Temple, ensuring that the Atlantic 10 Conference will get a second bid. [3/09/06]
