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BIG TEN MEN
Spartans not interested in sharing Big Ten championship
- ASSOCIATED PRESS
- March 3, 2012 - 9:46 PM
Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan all have a shot to share the Big Ten men's basketball regular-season title going into the final day of the conference's regular season.
The No. 5 Spartans, who have already earned at least a piece of the championship for the third time in four years, could have taken the stakes out of Sunday, but they couldn't hand No. 18 Indiana its first home loss.
The No. 10 Buckeyes and No. 13 Wolverines both pulled within a game of Michigan State by bouncing back from losing their final home games with a victory on the road.
Draymond Green hopes Michigan State's senior day doesn't go as poorly as Ohio State's and Michigan's did. The Spartans play host to the Buckeyes on Sunday in Green's last game at the Breslin Center.
"You just don't want to be that guy," said the Michigan State star forward. "We have a great opportunity to not be that guy and we just have to take advantage of it, but it's not going to be a cake walk."
Ohio State will tie Michigan State at the top with a victory Sunday. If that happens and the Wolverines win at Penn State, there will be a three-way tie, and Michigan will end a Big Ten regular-season championship drought that dates to 1986.
"I don't know if I'll be rooting for anyone," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "But I'll be watching the scoreboard with great interest."
Northwestern 70, Iowa 66: Drew Crawford scored 18 points as the Wildcats (18-12, 8-10 Big Ten) boosted their hopes for their first NCAA tournament bid by beating the Hawkeyes (16-15, 8-10).
Josh Oglesby missed a three-pointer from the wing with 4 seconds left that would have given the Hawkeyes the lead.
Northwestern needed this after losing two of its past three games. The Wildcats overcame an early 15-point deficit and held on in their last game before the conference tournament.
© 2013 Star Tribune
