No. 12 Michigan State’s win streak continues with 80-78 victory over No. 19 Illinois

By Canadian Press on January 19, 2025.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Tre Holloman had 17 points, including two free throws in the closing seconds, Coen Carr and Frankie Fidler scored 11 each and No. 12 Michigan State held on to beat No. 19 Illinois 80-78 on Sunday.

The Spartans (16-2, 7-0 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to 11 games, their longest run since the 2018-19 season that ended with Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo’s eighth trip to the Final Four.

The Fighting Illini (13-5, 6-2) took a 10-point lead in the first half and were trailing by one and had possession when Kylan Boswell turned over the ball with 5.9 seconds left.

Holloman made two free throws on the ensuing possession.

Izzo told his players to foul Boswell instead of giving up a 3-pointer. Boswell made the first free throw and after missing the second intentionally, he got to the ball and shot it from the baseline over the backboard, and the officials waved it off.

Illini star Kasparas Jakucionis was held to season lows in points (three) and minutes (nine) because of foul trouble.

Fellow freshman Will Riley came off the bench to pick up the scoring slack in the first half, scoring 16 points in eight minutes and finishing with 19.

NO. 18 MEMPHIS 77, CHARLOTTE 68

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — PJ Haggerty scored 18 points, Tyrese Hunter added 15 points and No. 18 Memphis used a strong first half to set the tone in a win over Charlotte.

Dain Dainja added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers (14-4, 4-1 American Athletic Conference), which bounced back from a loss to unranked Temple 88-81 on Thursday night. Haggerty, who had 21 points in the loss to the Owls, finished 7 of 14 from the field.

Jaehshon Thomas had 18 points to lead Charlotte (7-12, 0-6), which has lost seven straight.

Memphis shot 58% in the first half and ran out to a 41-25 lead at the break behind a 20-3 run. The Tigers got hot from deep early, making 7 of 14 3-pointers to start the game.

The 49ers would show some fight, cutting the Memphis lead to 10 early in the second half after Thomas knocked down back-to-back 3s, forcing a Tigers timeout. But Memphis would push the lead to 20 getting four points from Dainja during a 10-0 run.

NO. 20 MICHIGAN 80, NORTHWESTERN 76, OT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Valdislav Goldin scored 31 points, Nimari Burnett added 13 and No. 20 Michigan rallied to beat Northwestern in overtime.

Roddy Gayle Jr. and Tre Donaldson each had 10 points to help the Wolverines (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) rebounds from an 84-81 overtime loss at Minnesota on Thursday night.

Michigan made 9 of 10 free throws in the final 1:20 to finish off the Wildcats (11-7, 2-5).

Brooks Barnhizer led Northwestern with 21 points. Nick Martinelli added 20, and Jalen Leach had 19 before he was ejected.

After Gayle gave the Wolverines a 65-63 lead with 34 seconds left in regulation, Matthew Nicholson made two free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining to send it to overtime.

TCU 74, NO. 25 BAYLOR 71

WACO, Texas (AP) — Brendan Wenzel made a 3-pointer from the left corner with six seconds left and TCU, after overcoming a double-digit deficit in the second half, beat 25th-ranked Baylor to end the Bears’ 10-game home winning streak.

Ernest Udeh Jr. had a career-high 16 points and season-high 15 rebounds for the Horned Frogs (10-7, 3-3 Big 12), and his fourth blocked shot was on Jayden Nunn’s attempted 3-pointer to end the game. Vasean Allette and Noah Reynolds both had 13 points.

Norchad Omier had 20 points for Baylor (11-6, 3-3). VJ Edgecombe had 18 points and Jeremy Roach 11.

Nunn’s 3 with 25 seconds left tied the game at 71 right after Roach got hurt when forcing a turnover on an inbound pass by TCU. Edgecombe had made three free throws before Roach dove at Allette’s inbound pass and knocked it off Wenzel out of bounds as they collided.

Baylor led by 12 points before halftime and was up 48-38 on a 3 by Omier with 16:42 left.

The Associated Press