UNDATED (AP) — Illinois still has a decent shot at grabbing the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament.
Kofi Cockburn and Alfonso Plummer combined for 53 points as 15th-ranked Illinois outscored Michigan, 93-85.
Cockburn delivered 27 points in helping the Illinois get within one game of Wisconsin for the Big Ten lead. Plummer provided 23 of his 26 points by halftime for the Illini, who saw a 15-point, second-half lead cut to two in the closing minutes. Trent Frazier hit a 3-pointer with 45.3 seconds left to put Illinois up by seven.
Also in the Big Ten, Fatts Russell matched his career high with 27 points as Maryland knocked off No. 22 Ohio State, 75-60. Eric Ayala added 23 points and helped the Terrapins hold the Buckeyes to 36% shooting. The Terps had dropped six of eight before holding OSU leading scorer E.J. Liddell to 11 points.
In other top-25 men’s action:
— Fabian White Jr. and Josh Carlton led 14th-ranked Houston past SMU, 75-61. White had 21 points and nine rebounds, while Carlton added 19 points and eight rebounds to help the Cougars take a two-game lead with their fourth straight win. The Cougars had a 48-30 advantage in points in the paint, shot 45% and held a 49-25 advantage in rebounds.
— R.J. Cole scored 18 points and No. 21 UConn shot 11-for-20 from beyond the arc in an 86-77 win over Georgetown. The Huskies earned their fifth and extended the Hoyas’ team-record losing streak to 18 games.
