MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — DeeDee Hagemann scored 18 points and assisted on Kamaria McDaniel’s clutch 3-pointer with just over a minute to go and ninth-seeded Michigan State held off eighth-seeded Nebraska 67-64 on Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
McDaniel’s 3 gave the Spartans a 67-56 lead with 1:06 to go and they held on to earn a quarterfinal date with top-seeded and second-ranked Indiana on Friday.
Michigan State (16-13), which holds an 83-78 win over Indiana (26-2), didn’t advance until Nebraska missed two good looks at a tying 3-pointer following a Spartans offensive foul with 15.9 seconds to go.
Moira Joiner had 16 points, five rebounds, four steals, three assists and a block for Michigan State and McDaniel added 12 points.
The Spartans remain under the guidance of Dean Lockwood with head coach Suzy Merchant sidelined for medical reasons since late January.
Jaz Shelley scored 24 points for the Cornhuskers (16-14), Sam Haiby had 14 with eight rebounds, five assists and two steals and Alex Markowski scored 12 with 13 rebounds and four assists.
Nebraska had turnovers on its first four possessions and never led until Shelley made a pair of free throws to make it 41-40 with 2:36 to play in the third quarter. A Markowski basket made it 44-43 but Hagemann closed the third quarter with a nifty spin move and three-point play to put the Spartans back on top going into the fourth quarter.
MSU stretched the run to 14-0 with Joiner making three straight layups and Hagemann’s 3 making it 57-44.
Nebraska came back with a 10-2 run but couldn’t get closer than five until Izzabelle Bourne hit a 3-pointer with 43.7 seconds to go.
It is the first time in history the first three games of the tournament have been decided by five points or less.
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