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On a day in the Big Ten where two favorites (Indiana and Iowa) picked up expected wins by 30 and 28 points respectively, Michigan State was able to get revenge on Illinois after losing to them earlier this year. Also, earlier in the day Michigan got their biggest win of the season while giving Ohio State a bad loss for their resume.
Game of the Day: Michigan 64 vs. Ohio State 57
You know when your favorite team is having a terrible year and you look on the schedule and see they play your hated rival, who is ranked in the top 25 year in and year out, part of you thinks that you can handle this bad year as long as you beat them. Well that was the case yesterday. The bad team was Michigan, who caught a bad losing curse from the football team during the fall, but Sunday they got a remedy at the hands of 24th ranked Ohio State. If beating the Buckeyes was the cure to this long season for the Wolverines, then Spike Albrecht was the doctor, he tied for a game high 16 points.
In what started out as an ugly game in the first half, it eventually turned into a familiar sight for Michigan at the end as the game came down to the wire. The Wolverines led by 17 at one point in the second half but slowly watched that lead fade away as Ohio State went on a 14-0 run to take it to a three point game 49-46. Michigan's Zak Irvin knocked down a much needed three and Michigan was on their way to a much needed confidence boost as the season begins to wind down. D'Angelo Russell finished the game with 16 points, but was only 6 of 15 shooting on the day.
The Rest:
Iowa 74 at Nebraska 46
Aaron White's double-double was more than enough to secure a win against the Cornhuskers on Sunday. White padded the stat sheet with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 42-16 halftime lead before coasting in the second half. While Terran Petteway scored 16 points for Nebraska he only connected from deep once on eight attempts and also had 6 turnovers.
Indiana 84 at Rutgers 54
The dynamic duo of Yogi Ferrell and James Blackmon Jr. were at it again on Sunday, each scoring 17 points and paving the way to a thirty point win over a struggling Rutgers teams. A ten point halftime lead quickly grew in the second half as Indiana started out with a 9-0 and never looked back.
Michigan State 60 at Illinois 53
Tom Izzo must have super hero powers because what he is slowly doing with this Spartans team is ridiculous. Izzo has turned a team that no one was talking about earlier this season into a team that is tied for second in the conference standings...and is getting hot at the right time. Denzel Valentine had 20 points and 9 rebounds for the Spartans as they were able to get a revenge win over the Illini after losing earlier this season 54-59 in East Lansing.