Michigan Stays Hot for Second Straight Big Ten Title
For the second consecutive season, after an up-and-down trend all year long, the Michigan Wolverines have gotten hot at the right time to bring home a Big Ten Tournament Title. The 15th-ranked Wolverines pulled of their second straight upset on Sunday at Madison Square Garden with a 75-66 win over eighth-ranked Purdue for their second straight Big Ten Title. Mo Wagner led the way with 17 points and was awarded the tournament's most outstanding player while celebrating with his mother. His backup, Jon Teske, also came up big off the bench with 14 points, as the Wolverines hit half of their shots in the win. The win makes Michigan the first team to record back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles since the Ohio State Buckeyes did it in 2010 and 2011. Zavier Simpson chipped in 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Wolverines, who led by as many as 18 after falling to Purdue twice during the regular season. The Boilermakers faced their largest deficit of the season, as they were led by Isaac Haas's 23 points in the loss. The win has the Wolverines projected as a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament, as they are expected to jump up into the top-10 when the AP Polls are released on Monday.
Cincinnati Edges Wichita State, Clinch Top Seed in AAC
The Cincinnati Bearcats needed to pull off a top-15 win on Sunday afternoon to clinch the top seed in the AAC Tournament, and they did just that on the road. Jacob Evans had 19 points to lead the 10th-ranked Bearcats to a close 62-61 win over the 11th-ranked Wichita State Shockers, giving them the top overall seed in this week's AAC Tournament. Jarron Cumberland and Kyle Washington added 11 points apiece for Cincy, while Gary Clark finished with 10, including his team's final four points down the stretch. They failed to score after taking a 62-58 lead with 3:27 remaining, but held the Shockers to just three points on their home floor in the final minutes. Landry Shamet and Shaquille Morris had 16 points each for the Shockers, who would've earned a share of the regular season conference title, and would've taken the tiebreaker for the top seed in the tournament after defeating the Bearcats earlier this season. The Bearcats led by as many as 11 in the first half after a 16-1 run helped them pull away, but the Shockers pulled back to within one by halftime, and it remained that close the rest of the way. Both teams will enjoy a double bye in the AAC Tournament, which kicks off on Thursday.
Giannis, Bucks Rally Past Sixers
The Milwaukee Bucks have fallen on hard times as of late, so they had to turn to their star to turn things around on Sunday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points to help his Bucks rally from a 19-point deficit and top the Philadelphia 76ers at home, 118-110. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Bucks, who outscored the Sixers, 33-14, in the third quarter to begin the comeback. That rally helped them take down the young Sixers, despite them shooting at a 55 percent clip, including them hitting half of their shots from three-point range. Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds and seven assists, while Eric Bledsoe chipped in 22 points and Jabari Parker finished with 13. The win moves them within a half game of the Sixers for the six-seed in the Eastern Conference. Dario Saric led the Sixers with 25 points, 15 of which came in the first quarter. Other contributors included 19 points from Joel Embiid, 17 from J.J. Redick, and a double-double of 12 points and 15 assists from Ben Simmons. They will stay on the road on Tuesday night to battle the Charlotte Hornets, while the Bucks hit the road on Monday to take on the Indiana Pacers.
For the second consecutive season, after an up-and-down trend all year long, the Michigan Wolverines have gotten hot at the right time to bring home a Big Ten Tournament Title. The 15th-ranked Wolverines pulled of their second straight upset on Sunday at Madison Square Garden with a 75-66 win over eighth-ranked Purdue for their second straight Big Ten Title. Mo Wagner led the way with 17 points and was awarded the tournament's most outstanding player while celebrating with his mother. His backup, Jon Teske, also came up big off the bench with 14 points, as the Wolverines hit half of their shots in the win. The win makes Michigan the first team to record back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles since the Ohio State Buckeyes did it in 2010 and 2011. Zavier Simpson chipped in 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Wolverines, who led by as many as 18 after falling to Purdue twice during the regular season. The Boilermakers faced their largest deficit of the season, as they were led by Isaac Haas's 23 points in the loss. The win has the Wolverines projected as a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament, as they are expected to jump up into the top-10 when the AP Polls are released on Monday.
Cincinnati Edges Wichita State, Clinch Top Seed in AAC
The Cincinnati Bearcats needed to pull off a top-15 win on Sunday afternoon to clinch the top seed in the AAC Tournament, and they did just that on the road. Jacob Evans had 19 points to lead the 10th-ranked Bearcats to a close 62-61 win over the 11th-ranked Wichita State Shockers, giving them the top overall seed in this week's AAC Tournament. Jarron Cumberland and Kyle Washington added 11 points apiece for Cincy, while Gary Clark finished with 10, including his team's final four points down the stretch. They failed to score after taking a 62-58 lead with 3:27 remaining, but held the Shockers to just three points on their home floor in the final minutes. Landry Shamet and Shaquille Morris had 16 points each for the Shockers, who would've earned a share of the regular season conference title, and would've taken the tiebreaker for the top seed in the tournament after defeating the Bearcats earlier this season. The Bearcats led by as many as 11 in the first half after a 16-1 run helped them pull away, but the Shockers pulled back to within one by halftime, and it remained that close the rest of the way. Both teams will enjoy a double bye in the AAC Tournament, which kicks off on Thursday.
Giannis, Bucks Rally Past Sixers
The Milwaukee Bucks have fallen on hard times as of late, so they had to turn to their star to turn things around on Sunday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points to help his Bucks rally from a 19-point deficit and top the Philadelphia 76ers at home, 118-110. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Bucks, who outscored the Sixers, 33-14, in the third quarter to begin the comeback. That rally helped them take down the young Sixers, despite them shooting at a 55 percent clip, including them hitting half of their shots from three-point range. Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds and seven assists, while Eric Bledsoe chipped in 22 points and Jabari Parker finished with 13. The win moves them within a half game of the Sixers for the six-seed in the Eastern Conference. Dario Saric led the Sixers with 25 points, 15 of which came in the first quarter. Other contributors included 19 points from Joel Embiid, 17 from J.J. Redick, and a double-double of 12 points and 15 assists from Ben Simmons. They will stay on the road on Tuesday night to battle the Charlotte Hornets, while the Bucks hit the road on Monday to take on the Indiana Pacers.
