Big Ten Conference Tournament Semifinals: Senior guard MIchael Flowers grabbed his third steal of the game with 30 seconds remaining and sprinted for the game-winning layup, giving No. 1 Wisconsin a 65-63 victory against No. 4 Michigan State. The Badgers hit 26-of-37 free throws in a game in which Michigan State committed 30 fouls and four Spartans were disqualified with five fouls. Senior center Brian Butch led Wisconsin with 19 points and seven rebounds.
No. 10 Illinois continued its improbable run in the Big Ten Conference tournament with a 54-50 win against No. 6 Minnesota. Senior forward Shaun Pruitt led Illinois with 16 points and eight rebounds, and he hit 6-of-7 free throws to help the Illini stave off a Golden Gophers’ rally. Minnesota struggled much of the game on offense, shooting only 39 percent from the field. The Illini will play Wisconsin in the championship and will try to be the first team to make this year’s NCAA Tournament with a sub-.500 record.[3/15/08]
