COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — No. 3 Ohio State won big against Michigan State, but the next step toward any kind of championship this season might be out of the Buckeyes’ hands for now. They must wait for COVID-19 tests to determine whether Michigan can travel to Columbus for the finale of the pandemic-delayed regular season on Saturday. After having two games canceled already, the Buckeyes are 5-0 and under current conference rules must get in a sixth game to be eligible to play for a Big Ten championship. Whether they play Saturday also may affect their position in the national playoff rankings, where they currently are No. 4.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Joey Hauser had a career-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading No. 8 Michigan State to a 79-61 win over Western Michigan. The Spartans seemed flat for a second straight game at home after beating No. 6 Duke with an inspired effort on the road. They led the Broncos by just two points midway through the second half and trailed for six-plus minutes in the game. Hauser made a career-high six 3-pointers. He helped Michigan State pull away with a 19-6 run that was capped by his shot just inside the school’s logo.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Chaundee Brown scored 18 points with four 3-pointers, Hunter Dickinson had 14 points and seven rebounds and Michigan used a 20-0 second-half run to beat Central Florida 80-58. Michigan went on a 22-4 run to end the first half to take a 38-34 lead, and Brown scored the first eight points of the big second-half run. Brown made three 3-pointers in the 20-0 spurt as the Wolverines outscored UCF 42-24 in the second half. Brandon Mahan led UCF with 21 points, and Isaiah Adams added 11 points.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Rhyne Howard scored 22 points and No. 11 Kentucky rallied from 10-points down in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 13 Indiana 72-68 in the SEC-Big Ten Challenge. Three different Wildcats made a pair of free throws in the final 25 seconds, the clinchers coming from Chastity Patterson with four seconds to play. Kentucky needed them all as Grace Berger kept answering for Indiana (2-1), scoring all 14 Hoosier points in the fourth quarter. Berger, who finished with 22 points, also scored as time ran out in the third quarter for a 54-44 lead.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jacy Sheldon scored 13 of her 20 points in the first quarter and No. 19 Ohio State cruised to a 96-63 win over Northern Kentucky. Dorka Juhasz added 18 points and Madison Greene 17 for the Buckeyes, who went 10 of 25 from 3-point range and shot 58%. Sheldon hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 straight points as the Buckeyes took a 13-5 lead. She added a layup to open a 10-0run that saw Greene contribute six points to put the lead in double digits for the first time. Lindsey Duvall had 12 points for the Norse.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Junior transfer Leigha Brown scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, Naz Hillmon added a double-double and No. 24 Michigan rolled to an 82-59 win over Wright State. Brown, who led Nebraska in scoring last season, helped the Wolverines get off to a strong start by hitting all four of her shots in the first quarter. Hillmon, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, scored 11 points in the second quarter, including the last eight to push the halftime lead to 48-27. Wright State, which got 17 points from Angel Baker, shot 31%, going 1 of 18 from distance,
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Kiara Lewis had 17 of her 26 points in the second half, backcourt partner Tiana Mangakahia had another solid game in her return from missing a year with cancer and No. 22 Syracuse turned back Penn State 82-72. Mangakahia, who missed all of last season after undergoing chemotherapy and then a double mastectomy, finished with 14 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. However, she also had nine turnovers. Digna Strautmane also had 14 points for Syracuse. Tova Sabel led Penn State with 15 points. Johnasia Cash and Kelly Jekot both added 13 points with Cash grabbing 10 rebounds.
