Big Ten: Michigan, Michigan State advance to tournament championships (links ...
The Big Ten conference championship game Sunday will be an all-Michigan affair, with the Michigan Wolverines knocking off the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first semifinal today, and the Michigan State Spartans beating the Wisconsin Badgers in the second.
The Spartans open as a favorite to win the conference title.
Michigan 72, Ohio State 69
Aaron Craft sat at the postgame podium in sheer disbelief Saturday.
After making so many winning plays for Ohio State over the last four seasons, the senior guard simply couldn't believe this one slipped right out of his hands -- and against the Buckeyes' biggest rival.
No. 24 Ohio State rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit, took the lead, then gave it back after scoring just one point in the final four minutes. Craft had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds but he lost the ball on the way up and the Wolverines grabbed the loose ball.
One day after rallying from an 18-point second-half deficit to beat Nebraska, the Buckeyes came back to take the lead again -- only to watch it disappear amid Michigan's closing 7-1 run.
For top-seeded Michigan (25-7), the Big Ten regular season champs, it was a monumental victory.
The Wolverines hadn't won a semifinal game since 1998, when they won the first tournament only to vacate it because of NCAA rules violations. Since then, the Wolverines hadn't even won two straight games in the league tourney and had lost all six times they played the dreaded Buckeyes in Indianapolis or Chicago.
The Wolverines won their seventh straight in large part because they were 12 of 23 on 3-pointers against the Big Ten's top-rated 3-point defense.
The Buckeyes couldn't get anything to go over the final four minutes, missing five straight shots and three of four free throws before the ball slipped out of Craft's hands at the end.
'I feel so fortunate right now,' Michigan coach John Beilein said. 'You look at so many of our games down the stretch here, they've ended just like this and the ball keeps bouncing our way. You only can have that type of luck if you have guys like these guys sitting next to me. They make enough smart plays to keep you in the game, and some games the ball will just bounce your way.'
More:
* Michigan punches ticket for first Big Ten title game since 1998 * Buckeyes can't pull off second comeback in as many days * John Beilein and Michigan have 'one more step' to Big Ten title * Bracketology: Michigan now projected as No. 1 seed for NCAA tournament * Where will Buckeyes wind up in the tournament? *Ohio State faces new Selection Sunday plan * More Michigan Wolverines * More Ohio State Buckeyes
Michigan State 83, Wisconsin 75
Adreian Payne scored 18 points, Branden Dawson had 14 and No. 22 Michigan State beat No. 12 Wisconsin 83-75 on Saturday to reach the Big Ten tournament championship.
The third-seeded Spartans (25-8) won consecutive games for the first time since winning 11 straight in a stretch over December and January. They will face No. 8 Michigan in the final on Sunday.
The Spartans went on a 16-1 run in the first half and took a 37-16 lead when Gary Harris scored with 5:39 left before halftime. The first half was one of the best periods Michigan State has played all season.
' Photos from the game
Traevon Jackson's layup helped Wisconsin close to 21-15 with 10:43 left in the first half, but the Spartans responded with a 16-1 run that including three three-point plays.
Wisconsin trailed 43-26 at the break, but it rallied in the second half.
Jackson finished with 10 points for Wisconsin, which shot 28 percent in the first half. The Badgers have dropped two of their last three games.
More:
* Spartans advance to face Wolverines * MSU coach Tom Izzo hopes his team took notes when watching Spartans football team win Big Ten title * More Michigan State Spartans
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