INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins scored 31 points, Kiki Iriafen added 21 and each grabbed 10 rebounds in their first Big Ten Tournament games, leading No. 2 USC to an 84-79 victory over Indiana on Friday in Indianapolis.
The Trojans (27-2) have won all three games they’ve played in Indiana this season and will take an eight-game winning streak into Saturday’s semifinal contest against fourth-seeded Maryland.
Yarden Garzon had 23 points to lead the Hoosiers (19-12), making five of her six baskets from 3-point range. She also had eight rebounds and Shay Ciezki added 15 points as Indiana’s two-game winning streak ended.
It looked as if the Trojans might pull away when they used a 13-4 run to take a 55-48 lead late in the third quarter, but Indiana charged back within 59-57 entering the fourth. USC pulled away again with a 9-3 spurt to make it 71-63 with 5:15 to play.
The Hoosiers never recovered.
Michigan 98, Maryland 71
Jordan Hobbs scored 23 points and Michigan used a 25-0 first-half run and a dominating second half to crush No. 15 Maryland.
Freshmen Syla Swords and Olivia Olson added 22 and 20 points, respectively, for the fifth-seeded Wolverines (22-9), who will face USC on Saturday in the semifinals. The Trojans won the first meeting 78-58 on Dec. 29.
Hobbs and Olson both had 10 points in the big run that saw the Wolverines race to a 31-6 lead. After the Terrapins had a 16-0 run to close within one late in the first half, Michigan outscored Maryland 57-34.
The Wolverines shot 61%, making 12 of 23 3-pointers, to score the most points of any Maryland opponent this season.
Sarah Te-Biasu scored 25 points and Christina Dalce 19 for the fourth-seeded Terrapins (23-7).
After missing 10 shots and committing eight turnovers during an 8½-minute drought that carried into the second quarter, Maryland cut its 25-point deficit to one with the help of 16 points from Te-Biasu. Michigan led 41-37 at halftime but pulled away by outscoring Maryland 28-12 in the third quarter that included an 11-0 run.
UCLA 85, Nebraska 74
Lauren Betts finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks and Gabriela Jaquez added a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds as No. 4 UCLA reached the semifinals.
Kiki Rice had 14 points and nine assists to help the Bruins (28-2) rebound from last weekend’s loss to crosstown rival USC. UCLA will face No. 13 Ohio State in a Saturday semifinal.
Nebraska (21-11) played its third game in three days after earning the No. 10 seed. Britt Prince led the Cornhuskers with 24 points and Alex Markowski scored 11.
The Bruins struggled to pull away until breaking a 47-47 tie early in the third quarter with a 13-2 run. They finally sealed it with seven straight points to make it 71-60 with 5:36 to play.
The Bruins held a 16-8 offensive rebounding edge and outscored Nebraska 17-6 in second-chance points.
Ohio State 60, Iowa 59
Cotie McMahon converted two free throws with six seconds left to give 13th-ranked and third-seeded Ohio State a win over Iowa.
The Buckeyes (24-5) will battle second-seeded and No. 4-ranked UCLA, an 85-74 winner over Nebraska. Ohio State lost at then-No. 1 UCLA 65-52 during the regular season.
McMahon hit the first of two free throws with 3:04 left to give the Buckeyes a five-point lead, but Sydney Affolter knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to put the 11th-seeded Hawkeyes in front at 59-58 with 1:18 left.
Ohio State turned the ball over with 48 seconds left, but Kylie Feuerbach missed from behind the arc and Taylor Thierry got the rebound. After a timeout, McMahon drew the foul and hit both free throws.
Affolter got the ball on the left wing and drove the baseline for a contested layup with one second left that did not fall, and the Hawkeyes maintained possession and inbounded the ball with 0.7 seconds left. Hannah Stuelke got a hurried shot off but it did not fall as time expired.
McMahon scored six of Ohio State’s final nine points and finished with 18 points. Thierry had 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Ajae Petty pulled down 12 rebounds.
Iowa had won the previous three Big Ten Tournament titles. Stuelke, Affolter and Lucy Olsen each scored 14 points to lead the Hawkeyes (22-10), and Ava Heiden added 10 points off the bench.
The loss snapped Iowa’s 11-game Big Ten Tournament winning streak.
Big Ten Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
(12) Washington 79, (13) Minnesota 65
(10) Nebraska 84, (15) Rutgers 60
(11) Iowa 81, (14) Wisconsin 54
(9) Indiana 78, (8) Oregon 62
(5) Michigan 66, (12) Washington 58
(10) Nebraska 74, (7) Illinois 70
(11) Iowa 74, (6) Michigan State 61
Friday’s quarterfinals
(1) USC 84, (9) Indiana 79
(5) Michigan 98, (4) Maryland 71
(2) UCLA 85, (10) Nebraska 74
(3) Ohio State 60, (11) Iowa 59
Saturday’s semifinals
(1) USC vs. (5) Michigan, 2 p.m., BTN
(2) UCLA vs. (3) Ohio State, 4:30 p.m., BTN
Sunday’s final
3:30 p.m., CBS-2
INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins scored 31 points, Kiki Iriafen added 21 and each grabbed 10 rebounds in their first Big Ten Tournament games, leading No. 2 USC to an 84-79 victory over Indiana on Friday in Indianapolis. The Trojans (27-2) have won all three games they’ve played in Indiana this season and will take an
INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins scored 31 points, Kiki Iriafen added 21 and each grabbed 10 rebounds in their first Big Ten Tournament games, leading No. 2 USC to an 84-79 victory over Indiana on Friday in Indianapolis.
The Trojans (27-2) have won all three games they’ve played in Indiana this season and will take an eight-game winning streak into Saturday’s semifinal contest against fourth-seeded Maryland.
Yarden Garzon had 23 points to lead the Hoosiers (19-12), making five of her six baskets from 3-point range. She also had eight rebounds and Shay Ciezki added 15 points as Indiana’s two-game winning streak ended.
It looked as if the Trojans might pull away when they used a 13-4 run to take a 55-48 lead late in the third quarter, but Indiana charged back within 59-57 entering the fourth. USC pulled away again with a 9-3 spurt to make it 71-63 with 5:15 to play.
The Hoosiers never recovered.
Michigan 98, Maryland 71
Jordan Hobbs scored 23 points and Michigan used a 25-0 first-half run and a dominating second half to crush No. 15 Maryland.
Freshmen Syla Swords and Olivia Olson added 22 and 20 points, respectively, for the fifth-seeded Wolverines (22-9), who will face USC on Saturday in the semifinals. The Trojans won the first meeting 78-58 on Dec. 29.
Hobbs and Olson both had 10 points in the big run that saw the Wolverines race to a 31-6 lead. After the Terrapins had a 16-0 run to close within one late in the first half, Michigan outscored Maryland 57-34.
The Wolverines shot 61%, making 12 of 23 3-pointers, to score the most points of any Maryland opponent this season.
Sarah Te-Biasu scored 25 points and Christina Dalce 19 for the fourth-seeded Terrapins (23-7).
After missing 10 shots and committing eight turnovers during an 8½-minute drought that carried into the second quarter, Maryland cut its 25-point deficit to one with the help of 16 points from Te-Biasu. Michigan led 41-37 at halftime but pulled away by outscoring Maryland 28-12 in the third quarter that included an 11-0 run.
UCLA 85, Nebraska 74
Lauren Betts finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks and Gabriela Jaquez added a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds as No. 4 UCLA reached the semifinals.
Kiki Rice had 14 points and nine assists to help the Bruins (28-2) rebound from last weekend’s loss to crosstown rival USC. UCLA will face No. 13 Ohio State in a Saturday semifinal.
Nebraska (21-11) played its third game in three days after earning the No. 10 seed. Britt Prince led the Cornhuskers with 24 points and Alex Markowski scored 11.
The Bruins struggled to pull away until breaking a 47-47 tie early in the third quarter with a 13-2 run. They finally sealed it with seven straight points to make it 71-60 with 5:36 to play.
The Bruins held a 16-8 offensive rebounding edge and outscored Nebraska 17-6 in second-chance points.
Ohio State 60, Iowa 59
Cotie McMahon converted two free throws with six seconds left to give 13th-ranked and third-seeded Ohio State a win over Iowa.
The Buckeyes (24-5) will battle second-seeded and No. 4-ranked UCLA, an 85-74 winner over Nebraska. Ohio State lost at then-No. 1 UCLA 65-52 during the regular season.
McMahon hit the first of two free throws with 3:04 left to give the Buckeyes a five-point lead, but Sydney Affolter knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to put the 11th-seeded Hawkeyes in front at 59-58 with 1:18 left.
Ohio State turned the ball over with 48 seconds left, but Kylie Feuerbach missed from behind the arc and Taylor Thierry got the rebound. After a timeout, McMahon drew the foul and hit both free throws.
Affolter got the ball on the left wing and drove the baseline for a contested layup with one second left that did not fall, and the Hawkeyes maintained possession and inbounded the ball with 0.7 seconds left. Hannah Stuelke got a hurried shot off but it did not fall as time expired.
McMahon scored six of Ohio State’s final nine points and finished with 18 points. Thierry had 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Ajae Petty pulled down 12 rebounds.
Iowa had won the previous three Big Ten Tournament titles. Stuelke, Affolter and Lucy Olsen each scored 14 points to lead the Hawkeyes (22-10), and Ava Heiden added 10 points off the bench.
The loss snapped Iowa’s 11-game Big Ten Tournament winning streak.
Big Ten Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
(12) Washington 79, (13) Minnesota 65
(10) Nebraska 84, (15) Rutgers 60
(11) Iowa 81, (14) Wisconsin 54
(9) Indiana 78, (8) Oregon 62
(5) Michigan 66, (12) Washington 58
(10) Nebraska 74, (7) Illinois 70
(11) Iowa 74, (6) Michigan State 61
Friday’s quarterfinals
(1) USC 84, (9) Indiana 79
(5) Michigan 98, (4) Maryland 71
(2) UCLA 85, (10) Nebraska 74
(3) Ohio State 60, (11) Iowa 59
Saturday’s semifinals
(1) USC vs. (5) Michigan, 2 p.m., BTN
(2) UCLA vs. (3) Ohio State, 4:30 p.m., BTN
Sunday’s final
3:30 p.m., CBS-2
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