Illinois State reached 20 wins Sunday for the first time in seven seasons, staving off a late rush by Wright State with free throws for a 54-46 victory that was a must-win for any chance at an NCAA tournament bid.
The host Redbirds (20-8) saw an 18-point second-half lead shrink to 49-46 with 50 seconds left. Boo Richardson, Emmanuel Holloway (career-high 16 points) and Osiris Eldridge then made free throws to end Wright State’s 11-game winning streak.
“We saw that our record against the better RPI teams wasn’t that good, so we really needed to make a statement,” Holloway said.
ISU is 13-0 when holding an opponent to fewer than 60 points. Wright State fell to 20-7.
“The 20 wins are nice,” ISU coach Tim Jankovich said, “but it’s a number, like birthdays. But I am awfully proud of this bunch of guys.”
— John Mullin
Wisconsin 58, Ohio State 53: Jason Bohannon came off the bench to score 16 points and No. 11 Wisconsin relied on its stout defense to hang on in Columbus, Ohio.
The victory moved the Badgers (23-4, 13-2) a half-game ahead of Purdue and Indiana for the Big Ten lead.
“We played some great defense, especially down the stretch when they were trying to get the [tying] three-pointer,” Bohannon said.
More Top Picks Best Cable Row Machines For Home Gyms
Wisconsin used a late 9-0 run to take the lead and then held Ohio State without a point over the final 3 minutes 15 seconds.
Jamar Butler, Ohio State’s captain and leading scorer, didn’t start because of a “coach’s decision.” He led the Buckeyes (17-10, 8-6) with 14 points.
Minnesota 75, Penn St. 68: Lawrence Westbrook led the host Gophers (17-9, 7-7) with 15 points.