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Game
1: (8) Indiana 83, (9)
Ohio State 69
(Numbers
in parentheses indicate seedings.)
The first game of the day looked like a
Buckeye blowout early, as Ohio State used their superior size down
low to explode out to a 31-20 lead. The Hoosiers were forced to play
zone early and often, and the Bucks used a 3-point attack by Tony
Stockman, Nick Dials, J.J. Sullinger and Brandon Fuss-Cheatham to
put the Hoosiers on their heels. Indiana looked like they were a
basket or two from being sent back to Bloomington. However, at the
seven-minute mark of the first half, IU coach Mike Davis turned to
walk-ons Ryan Tapak and Mark Johnson while sitting starters Bracey
Wright and George Leach, and the results were amazing. The Hoosiers
promptly went on a 21-4 run to end the first half, sparked by the
play of Tapak and Johnson, and Indiana held a 41-35 lead at the
break.
The second half saw Ohio State never
able to catch up. Despite strong scoring from Sullinger and
Illinois-killer Terence Dials, Indiana always seemed to have an
answer. Wright caught fire for Indiana in the second frame, making
six of 10 shots and looking like the Bracey Wright of old. Indiana
made 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch and Buckeye fans were
seen leaving Conseco uttering, "only 150 days until fall football
practice begins."
Wright led the Hoosiers with 20 points,
and A.J. Moye chipped in 19 and grabbed eight rebounds. Ohio State
was led by Dials and Sullinger, who scored 22 and 18 points
respectively.
Johnson's story seemed almost storybook
in nature. He had played only 10 minutes all season, yet on this day
would log 20 minutes of action and score 13 points while turning the
ball over just once. Tapak was amazing as well, logging 34 minutes,
dishing out 11 assists and nailing two huge 3-point baskets.
Indiana improved to 14-14 on the
season, while Ohio State ends their season with a 14-16 record.
Indiana moves on to the quarterfinal
round on Friday and plays conference champ Illinois in the 11 a.m.
game Friday. The two teams met just once during the regular season,
with Illinois winning on the road in Bloomington 51-49. The game is
considered by many in Illini Nation to be the turning point of the
season for the Illini.
Game
2: (10) Minnesota 63, (7)
Purdue 52
The second game Thursday gave credence
to the theory that it is difficult to beat a team three times in a
season. Purdue entered the game on a three-game losing streak but
should have had some confidence against a Minnesota Gopher team it
had defeated twice earlier in the regular season. Nothing could have
been further from the truth, however, as Minnesota led from start to
finish for the most part and sent Purdue packing for the NIT
The Gophers jumped out to early leads
of eight points on two occasions despite the poor shooting of super
frosh Kris Humphries, who went 1-of-11 from the field in the first
half. Purdue really struggled with shooting the ball as well and
looked nothing like the team that gave Illinois all they wanted in
West Lafayette just eight days ago. At the eight-minute mark of the
first half, Purdue had just six points. The Boilers rallied late in
the first half with an 11-2 run to actually take a 19-18 lead, and
the game was tied at 19 at the half.
The second half started well for Purdue
with a Brandon McKnight bucket and a David Teague 3 for a 24-19
lead, but Minnesota responded with a 9-0 run and never looked back.
Led by Humphries and the outside shooting of Aaron Boone, the
Gophers built the lead to eight and charged ahead for a 63-52
victory. Senior Michael Bauer killed the Boilers with four 3-point
baskets in the second half as Minnesota advanced to the second
round.
It marked the first time Minnesota had
beaten a higher seeded team in the tourney since the very first
event, when they upset the then top-seeded Michigan State Spartans
in 1998.
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Humphries finished with 20 points, and
Bauer chipped in 16 for the Gophers. Purdue was led in scoring by
Teague and McKnight, who each scored 16 for the game.
The Gophers improve to 12-17, while
Purdue drops to 17-13 for the year.
Minnesota advances to the third
quarterfinal game on Friday against the second-seeded Wisconsin
Badgers. The two teams met just once in the regular season, with
Wisconsin winning by 14 points in Madison.
Game
3: (6) Northwestern 57, (11)
Penn State 52
The final game of the day on Friday
pitted the two teams who brought the smallest number of fans, the
Wildcats of Northwestern and the Nittany Lions of Penn State. The
teams had split their previous two meetings, each team winning on
the other's home court.
The game started with Penn State on
fire from the outside, building a 22-12 lead that sent the two dozen
Penn State fans in attendance into a frenzy. However, the story of
the first half was turnovers, as the Lions committed 20 in the first
half alone, allowing Northwestern to get back into the game. The
Wildcats caught Penn State and took a 26-24 lead into the break.
The second half began with Northwestern
extending the lead behind the scoring of Vedran Vukusic, who scored
the first 10 points of the half for the Cats. Northwestern looked
like they were ready to run away with the game before a late Lion
rally brought Penn State within one on two occasions, the later at
49-48 with just 2:44 to play. But Northwestern had an answer and
extended the lead back out to eight before winning by five at 57-52.
Vukusic led the Cats with 16 points,
while Jitim Young added 14 and Mohamed Hachad scored 13. Penn State
was led by Aaron Johnson and Marlon Smith, who each scored 14.
NU improves to 14-14 on the year, while
Penn State finishes the season at 9-19.
Northwestern moves into a quarterfinal
match late Friday evening against the third-seeded Michigan State
Spartans. The Wildcats lost both previous regular-season games
against MSU by double digits.
Conference tourney tidbits
- Michigan State is the only
conference team to never play a first-round game in the tourney.
- Only one No. 1-seeded team has
actually won the conference tourney title: Michigan State in 1999.
- Illinois has been No. 1 seed
twice -- 2001 and this season -- and has also been No. 2 seed
twice, in 1998 and 2003; No. 3 seed in 2002; No. 4 seed in 2000;
and No. 11 seed in 1999.
- Illinois has advanced to the
title game three times, losing to MSU in 1999 and 2000 and winning
last season against Ohio State
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Friday's game versus Indiana marks the fifth time the two teams
have met in the seven years of the conference tourney. Illinois is
3-1 against the Hoosiers in the tourney, winning a blowout in
1999, two close games in 2000 and 2003, and losing a heartbreaker
in 2001.
Friday
games
- Game 1: Illinois vs. (8) Indiana,
11 a.m.
- Game 2: (4) Iowa vs. (5)
Michigan, 1:30 p.m.
- Game 3: (2) Wisconsin vs. (10)
Minnesota, 5:40 p.m.
- Game 4: (3) Michigan State vs.
(6) Northwestern, 8:10 p.m.
[Greg
Taylor]
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