Big Ten Conference Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 1 Wisconsin plodded past No. 9 Michigan 51-34 in the lowest scoring game in Big Ten Conference Tournament history. Michigan scored the fewest points in conference tournament history thanks to 21.3 percent shooting from the field. No Wolverine scored in double figures. Junior forward Joe Krabenhoft scored 12 points to lead the Badgers, who were slightly more productive in shooting 36.2 percent.
No. 5 Ohio State stayed close for much of the game, but No. 4 Michigan State pulled away late to win 67-60. The Buckeyes hoped to reprise Sunday’s big win in Columbus against the Spartans to move closer to an NCAA Tournament bid. Instead, they’ll be eagerly awaiting the Selection Show this Sunday. Senior guard Drew Neitzel scored 28 points, hitting six three-pointers to pace Michigan State. The Spartans will play Wisconsin in the semifinals.
No. 2 Purdue couldn’t bottle up freshman guard Demetri McCamey, who exploded for 26 points to lead No. 10 Illinois to a 74-67 overtime upset. McCamey forced overtime by hitting his sixth three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining. He finished 6-of-6 from beyond the arc. In overtime, Purdue didn’t hit a single field goal, getting all four points from the free throw line. Illinois shot 61.2 percent from the field.
Freshman guard Blake Hoffarber hit a clutch jumper on a three-quarter court inbounds pass at the buzzer — Christian Laettner style — to give No. 6 Minnesota a 59-58 win against No. 3 Indiana. The upset guarantees that the Big Ten championship will feature a team that could steal an at-large bid by winning the conference’s automatic invitation. Minnesota will play the Illini in the semifinals. Against Indiana, sophomore forward Damian Johnson led the Golden Gophers with 17 points despite fouling out in only 23 minutes. The Hoosiers shot 32 percent from the field and made only one three-pointer. They also missed 12 free throw attempts. [3/14/08]
