Big Ten semis set
Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan State all advanced to the Big Ten semifinals at Chicago’s United Center — Michigan is being labeled the favorite after a dominant quarterfinal showing []. The semis are scheduled for Saturday with broadcast on CBS, BTN and Peacock, and the tournament final (automatic NCAA bid) is slated for March 15 [].
Aday Mara scored 17 points — 13 in the second half — and No. 1 Michigan held off Ohio State 71-67 in Friday’s quarterfinal; Elliot Cadeau added 15 points, seven assists and three steals. foxsports.com Wisconsin rallied from 15 points down to beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime, with Nick Boyd pouring in a career-high 38 points and John Blackwell adding 31. nbcchicago.com Purdue defeated No. 2 Nebraska 74-58 — Fletcher Loyer scored 19 while Braden Smith had 10 assists in the quarterfinal — and Smith had set a Big Ten Tournament single-game record with 16 assists in Purdue’s 81-68 win over Northwestern the night before. espn.com UCLA eliminated Michigan State 88-84 in Friday’s other quarterfinal, with Donovan Dent leading the Bruins (including 22 points and 12 assists) to advance. espn.com The updated bracket sets Saturday’s semifinals as No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 5 Wisconsin at 1 p.m., followed roughly 25 minutes later by No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 6 UCLA. sports.yahoo.com
