INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nia Clouden scored 30 points, including seven in a pivotal 10-1 run, as Michigan State upset No. 9 Indiana 69-61 in the quarterfinals of the women’s Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night.
The junior guard hit two jumpers as well as a 3-pointer in about a two-minute span to propel the seventh-seeded Spartans to a 57-48 lead over the second-seeded Hoosiers in the final quarter.
Clouden had 12 points and five foul shots in the final quarter. She finished 8-of-17 from the floor and made 13-of-16 free throws.
The Spartans (15-7) avenged a regular-season loss to the Hoosiers (18-5), who had entered on a nine-game winning streak. Michigan St.
Grace Berger led the Hoosiers with 19 points before fouling out. Mackenzie Holmes had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
NORTHWESTERN 65, No. 13 MICHIGAN 49
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Veronica Burton scored 25 points with 13 rebounds and six assists to lead fifth-seeded Northwestern over fourth-seeded Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament.
The game was tied at 30-all at halftime but the Wildcats held the Wolverines to a season-low 19 second-half points in avenging a pair of regular-season losses, including a 63-58 defeat last Saturday.
Northwestern advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2016 where it will take on top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Maryland on Friday. The Terrapins beat eighth-seeded Nebraska 83-73 in Thursday’s tournament opener.
Burton, the two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year, was 7-of-14 shooting and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line in finishing two points shy of her career high. The double-double was her second this season. Lindsey Pulliam added 18 points, leaving her five shy of 2,000 for her career.
No. 7 MARYLAND 83, NEBRASKA 73
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ashley Owusu had team highs of 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to lead Maryland to a victory over Nebraska in the quarterfinals of Big Ten women’s basketball tournament.
Owusu sank 10 of 11 free throws, including all seven in the final quarter to help the top-seeded Terrapins pull away. Diamond Miller and Chloe Bibby each 18 points and Mimi Collins added 17.
The Cornhuskers stayed close by hitting 11 of 26 3-pointers compared to 7 of 22 for the Terrapins.
Sam Haiby was high for Nebraska with 24 points.
IOWA 73, No. 19 RUTGERS 62
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gabbie Marshall scored 22 of her career-high 27 points by halftime, Monika Czinano and Caitlin Clark scored in bunches over the final two quarters and sixth-seeded Iowa knocked third-seeded Rutgers out of the Big Ten tournament .
Iowa (17-8) will face seventh-seeded Michigan State (15-7), which had earlier upset No. 9-ranked Indiana, in a Friday semifinal.
One night after Iowa made a season-low 3 of 22 shots from 3-point distance, Marshall knocked down seven treys, including all six of the Hawkeyes’ long-rangers in the first half. Czinano scored 12 of her 20 in the second half on 6-of-9 shooting, and Clark scored 14 of her 21 in the second half.
Diamond Johnson tied her career high with 26 points for Rutgers (14-4) in her first career postseason game, and added eight rebounds and five steals for the Scarlet Knights.
No. 20 SOUTH FLORIDA 64, CENTRAL FLORIDA 54
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Elena Tsineke scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, Sydni Harvey made six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points, and South Florida beat UCF for the first American Athletic Conference Tournament championship in program history.
It was the Bulls’ fifth appearance in the title game, having lost to Connecticut in the championship from 2015-18.
Top-seeded South Florida (18-3) earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the fifth time in the last seven years.
Harvey hit two of her four first-quarter 3s in an 8-0 run that gave USF the lead for good made it 18-11 going into the second and the Bulls held UCF scoreless for five-plus minutes during a 16-2 spurt that pushed the lead to 20 points just before halftime.
Diamond Battles led the second-seeded Knights (16-4) with 18 points and Masseny Kaba scored 16.
No. 24 FLORIDA GULF COAST 87, JACKSONVILLE 62
KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Tishara Morehouse scored 28 points, Kierstan Bell had 22 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and Florida Gulf Coast won its 23rd straight, cruising past Jacksonville 87-62 in the quarterfinals of Atlantic Sun Conference tournament.
FGCU (24-2) hasn’t lost since dropping back-to-back games against ranked opponents, Missouri State and Arkansas, in November. The Green and Blue are seeking to go undefeated in regular-season play and win a tournament crown in the same season for the third time in program history — the last coming in 2018-19.
Tyra Cox added 21 points with seven 3-pointers — both career highs — as FGCU made 15 of 48 for its 300th straight game with at least 10 made 3s. The Eagles were 9 of 29 from distance in the first half.
Deshari Graham scored 15 points and Ashley Malone added 12 for Jacksonville (4-17).
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