Michigan State Falls, Nebraska resurrect

On By Littum

Welcome back to Big Ten Basketball Weekend Rundown.

In this edition of Weekend Rundown we will review the results from Thursday to Sunday and investigate where each team stands as February is upon us. Which teams won big and which ones came up cards?

UCLA 78, No. 16 Oregon 52

UCLA dominated No. 16 Oregon from start to finish in a 78-52 Rout on Thursday night and expanded their winning row to five matches. Eric Diley Jr. was almost unstoppable and scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while Dylan Andrews and Tyler Bilodeau each contributed 15 to Bruins.

Ucla’s victory marked their fourth over a ranked team this season and completed a seasonal sweep of the ducks. Oregon fought offensively, with Nate Bittle in the lead with only 13 points. They have now dropped two straight, while UCLA looks like a team that gets speed at the right time.

Nebraska 80, No. 18 Illinois 74

Nebraska cracked a six-match’s losing row in a dramatic way and removed No. 18 Illinois 80-74 in overtime Thursday night. Brice Williams was the hero who scored eight of his playing highs 27 points in the extra period to help Huskers secure their third win over a ranked opponent this season-a feat they had not achieved since 2013-14.

Illini saw their dominance over Nebraska end despite a balanced effort led by Kasparas Jakucionis ’18 points. Williams took over overtime and hit clutch shoots to put Nebraska in control, while Illinois couldn’t keep up with the stretch.

January 30, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois fights for the Illini Guard Three White (22) shoots the ball against Nebraska Cornhusk

Illinois -Guard Three White shoots the ball against Nebraska tip Juwan Gary during overtime Thursday night in Lincoln. / DYLAN WIDGER-INFORMATION PICTURES

Ohio State 83, Penn State 64

Ohio State kept his momentum rolling with an impressive 83-64 road victory over the Penn State on Thursday night, run by beginner John Mobley Jr.’s all-round performance. Mobley filled the Statarket with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Bruce Thornton fired from deep and hit five triangles on the way to 17 points.

Buckeyes has now won three equal and seen control everywhere. Meanwhile, Penn State continued his matches and dropped his seventh match in the last eight despite Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s 21-point effort. Nittany Lions could not slow down Ohio State’s effective violation, and their own inconsistency at both ends made it difficult to mount a comeback.

No. 10 Purdue 81, Indiana 76

Purdue pulled a hard-fought 81-76 win over rival Indiana on Friday night thanks to Braden Smith’s season high 24 points and a clutch match from Trey Kaufman-Renn with 11 seconds left.

Indianas Mackenzie Mgbako led all scorers by 25 points. However, Hoosiers couldn’t keep up late and drop their sixth in the last seven games. The game saw six lead changes in the last four minutes before Kaufman-Renn’s Hook Shot gave the Purdue the lead for good at 77-76.

Purdue Boilermakers Guard Braden Smith (3) drives past Indiana Hoosiers Center Oumar Ballo (11) Friday, 31 January 2025, Under

Purdue-Guard Braden Smith drives past the Indiana Center Oumar Ballo (left) under Purdues 81-76 victory Friday. / Alex Martin / Journal and Courier / USA Today Network via Imag images

USC 70, No. 7 Michigan State 64

The USC pulled a big disturbance on Saturday afternoon and took down No. 7 Michigan State 70-64 and snapped Spartans ’13-game-winning row. Desmond Claude led the Trojans with 19 points and the USC never drew in the game.

Michigan State had a chance to close the gap late, but was called for a violation of shooting with 39.3 seconds left. On the subsequent possession, the USCS Saint Thomas Yates found a cross-cutting pass and dunk that sealed the victory and the biggest uprising of the Big Ten game so far.

No. 17 Wisconsin 75, Northwestern 69

John Tonje exploded for 27 points when No. 17 Wisconsin gathered in the second half to defeat Northwestern 75-69 on Saturday.

Subsequently, badgers responded with a crucial 14-3 race to seize control. Carter Gilmore contributed to that stretch and scored seven of his 15 points. Jalen Leach tempo the Northwest with 23 points and seven assists, but Wildcats fought late and made only a field goal during Badgers’ decisive race.

Washington 71, Minnesota 68

Tyler Harris led Washington with 23 points and Huskies held by Minnesota 71-68 on Saturday. Washington cracked a six-match’s losing row and just picked up his second win over a Power Conference opponent this season.

Minnesota’s Dawson brought a furious comeback and tied the game on 64 with a free throw late in the second half, but Great Osobor responded with a key-three-point sequence to push Washington ahead. Garcia scored again to cut the deficit to 67-66 with 12 seconds left, but Washington sank free throw in the final moments to secure Huskies’ victory.

Michigan 66, Rutgers 63

Danny Wolf led Michigan with 16 points and 14 rebounds when Wolverines held Rutgers 66-63 on Saturday for their second equal victory. Rutgers were very dependent on his bench, with Jamichael Davis scoring a game-high 20 points and Tyson Acuff added 14.

Rutgers made several pushes in the second half and cut it to 46-44 on a Zach Martini-riot with under eight minutes left. Michigan responded with key-free throws and extended the lead to 57-50 after two from Goldin. Davis drained a late three to get Rutgers within four, but Michigan’s defense held in the last moments to secure the victory.

February 1, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverine's main coach Dusty may respond over the other half against

Michigan head coach Dusty may respond during the second half of Wolverines’ games on Saturday against Rutgers. / Vincent Carchietta-prescribed images

Nebraska 77, No. 16 Oregon 71

Brice Williams led Nebraska with 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists when Huskers disturbed No. 16 Oregon 77-71 Sunday night. Juwan Gary added 23 points as Nebraska won his fourth win over a ranked opponent this season. Cornhuskers controlled most of the game using central defensive stops and effective shooting to avert Oregon’s comeback attempt.

The ducks pulled off double digits in the second half, but itched back and cut the deficit to five with just over six minutes left. TJ Bamba’s three-point game made it a four-point game in the last minute, but Nebraska sealed the victory with clutch-free throw from Williams and Gary. It was a monster -victory from Huskers whose season possibly turned around.

No. 18 Illinois 87, Ohio State 79

Will Riley scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half when No. 18 Illinois deleted an 11-point deficit to defeat Ohio State 87-79 on Sunday. Illini stood ahead with a crucial 15-0 race late in the second half. Morez Johnson Jr. contributed a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Kylan Boswell added 14 points.

Ohio State saw his three-game-winning strip broken despite a dominant first half from Devin Royal, ending with 29 points, including 19 before the break. Illinois defensively tightened up the second half and limited Ohio State’s violation while he was capitalizing on transitional options to end the comeback.

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