IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sophomore Keegan Murray scored a career-high 37 points to power Iowa to a 98-75 romp over Nebraska. Murray sank 15 of 21 shots — 3 of 4 from 3-point range — and made 4 of 5 foul shots for the Hawkeyes (17-7, 7-6 Big Ten Conference). Murray had 24 first-half points and Payton Sandfort came off the bench to score 10 to lead Iowa to a 53-25 lead at intermission. Murray topped his career high on a driving layup with 5:28 remaining in the game, giving the Hawkeyes an 86-63 lead. He subbed out with 3:23 to go. His previous high was 35 points, set four times, including twice as a freshman. Derrick Walker had 14 points and six rebounds to pace Nebraska (7-18, 1-13).
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Veronica Burton hit two tiebreaking free throws in the closing seconds, Jillian Brown scored a career-high 18 points, and Northwestern beat a top-four team for the first time in 40 years, squeezing past No. 4 Michigan 71-69 in double overtime. The Wildcats (14-9, 6-6 Big Ten) had not beaten a team ranked this high since taking out No. 3 Long Beach on Jan. 16, 1982. Their most recent victory over a top-five opponent was over No. 5 Ohio State on No. 5 Ohio State on Jan. 14, 2016. Burton made up for a rough afternoon when she made those winning free throws after getting fouled on an inbounds pass. The Wildcats’ star finished with 13 points on 2-for-13 shooting to go with 13 assists. Naz Hillmon scored 16 and became the fourth Michigan player with 2,000 points.
UNDATED (AP) — The knock on Penny Hardaway early in the season was that he could recruit talent to Memphis, just not win with it. The Tigers seem to be rounding into form — finally. Shaking off some ugly early-season losses, Memphis put itself on the NCAA Tournament bubble with a marquee win over No. 6 Houston. The Tigers have won five straight after beating Tulane earlier in the week as all those talented young players have begun to find their way in the college game.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Malik Hall scored 18 points, Tyson Walker came off the bench to add 15 and No. 17 Michigan State snapped a two-game losing streak with a 76-61 victory over Indiana. With the win, the Spartans are one game behind conference leader No. 13 Illinois. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 17 points and Race Thompson and Tamar Bates each had 13 for the Hoosiers, who have now lost four of their last six games. Indiana has won only twice in its last 25 visits to Michigan State — in 2013 and 2019.
UNDATED (AP) — Michigan is trying to play its way back into Big Ten title contention. No. 16 Ohio State is trying to stay there. And Saturday’s big game could dictate whether either team remains in the hunt. The defending regular-season champion Wolverines will be facing their biggest rival on the end of a four-games-in-eight-days stretch. The Buckeyes are trying to keep pace, just one loss behind the league’s three-team lead pack.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska football fans a step closer to being able to buy booze from vendors at Memorial Stadium. University of Nebraska regents have cleared the way for campus leaders to decide whether to sell alcohol at their sports venues. University president Ted Carter says he doesn’t know when or if alcohol sales will begin inside Memorial Stadium. He says it will not begin this fall.
