COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — E.J. Liddell scored a career-high 29 points as No. 17 Ohio State pulled away from Niagara in the second half for an 84-74 win. Liddell has carried the load in each of the first two games, both of them closer-than-expected wins for the Buckeyes. Ohio State needed a last-second layup by Zed Key to pull out a win over Akron on Tuesday night. Marcus Hammond scored 22 points for Niagara, which stayed in the game until the final minute. Sam Iorio had 18 points and Jordan Cintron scored 17.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Coleman Hawkins had 17 points on Friday night and No. 11 Illinois overwhelmed Arkansas State in a 92-53 blowout. Illinois welcomed guards Andre Curbelo and Trent Frazier back into the lineup. Curbelo finished with eight points, seven assists and four rebounds for Illinois (2-0), while Frazier, who returned from a shoulder injury, added 12 points and four rebounds. Marquis Eaton led the Red Wolves (1-1) with 13 points, while Arkansas transfer Desi Sills added eight points. Hawkins also had a career-high 12 rebounds and dished out four assists for Illinois, while Jacob Grandison finished with 15 points.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Freshman Bryce McGowens scored 29 points, including nine in a furious late rally, and Nebraska turned aside Sam Houston 74-65 to avoid a second-straight upset to start the season. Bryce McGowens scored nine of his points in the finishing run, including a pretty alley-oop from Alonzo Verge, and Trey McGowens scored six of his eight points in the last 5:40. Savion Flagg scored 31 points, including five 3-pointers, and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead Sam Houston. The Bearkats sank 8 of 16 free throws to Nebraska’s 26 of 36 — the most by a Husker team since the 2017-18 season.
MADISON, Wisc. (AP) — Steven Crowell scored 18 points with seven rebounds and Wisconsin dismantled Green Bay 72-34. Johnny Davis and Brad Davison each scored 15 points for the Badgers, which have won their first two games by an average margin of 30.5 points. Tim Kircimin and Tutu Majok each scored five points.
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Pete Nance scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and sparked a big run to open the second half as Northwestern turned back High Point 95-60. Nance, the son of 13-year NBA veteran Larry Nance, scored 14 points in a 19-7 run to open the second half and the Wildcats turned a one-point halftime lead into a 53-40 advantage and never looked back. John-Michael Wright paced the Panthers (1-1), who trailed 34-33 at halftime, with 23 points and nine assists.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 19 points and blocked seven shots and Race Thompson finished with a double-double as Indiana rolled to a 85-49 victory over Northern Illinois in nonconference play. Mike Woodson, a standout guard for Indiana under Bob Knight from 1976-80, is now 2-0 in his first season as the Hoosiers’ coach. Woodson, an Indiana native, is the first Hoosier graduate to lead the program at the start of a season since Lou Watson in 1965. Keshawn Williams topped the Huskies with 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gabe Brown scored 17 points, Joey Hauser had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Michigan State rebounded from a loss in its opener by beating Western Michigan 90-46. Western Michigan (1-1) hit four 3-pointers in a span of two minutes, 47 seconds and led 15-9 about seven minutes in but Michigan State (1-1) scored the next nine points to spark a 23-4 run to take the lead for good. Mack Smith led the Broncos (1-1) with 13 points and Markeese Hastings added 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
