Top 25 roundup: No. 2 Michigan returns to Big 10 play to beat Penn State

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Iggy Brazdeikis had 16 points and 11 rebounds and No. 2 Michigan returned to Big Ten play with a 68-55 victory over Penn State on Thursday night.

The Wolverines (14-0, 3-0) weren’t always that dominant while playing lesser competition in December, and the first half against Penn State (7-7, 0-3) wasn’t all that great either from an aesthetic standpoint. The teams combined for 18 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Michigan led 25-20.

Jordan Poole led Michigan with 17 points and has reached double figures in nine straight games. Charles Matthews added 14 points for the Wolverines.

Mike Watkins scored 19 points for Penn State, and Lamar Stevens added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Penn State shot 1 of 14 from 3-point range.

No. 18 N.C. State 87, Miami 82

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Reserve Markell Johnson scored 20 points in 23 minutes and North Carolina State shot 57 percent in the second half to rally past Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

The Wolfpack (13-1) won their seventh game in a row and are off to their best start since the 1973-74 team that won the national championship.

The Hurricanes built their biggest lead at 74-64 with 10 minutes left, but the Wolfpack responded by scoring 13 consecutive points, and Daniels’ driving layup put them ahead to stay with 6 1/2 minutes to go. Miami went nearly five minutes without a point and missed eight shots in a row.

Johnson missed only two shots, both 3-pointers, and made four free throws in the final 28 seconds to seal the win. Devon Daniels finished with 19 points for the Wolfpack.

Miami sophomore Chris Lykes scored a career-high 28 points on only 15 shots. Zach Johnson added 21 points.

No. 21 Indiana 73, Illinois 65

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Romeo Langford scored a career-high 28 points, Juwan Morgan added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Indiana beat Illinois.

Langford shot 8 for 13 from the field and 11 of 15 from the line for Indiana (12-2, 3-0).

Samson Oladimeji scored 20 points and Giorgi Bezhanishvili added 18 for Illinois (4-10, 0-3).

Minnesota 59, No. 22 Wisconsin 52

MADISON, Wis. – Amir Coffey scored 21 points and Minnesota put Wisconsin in an early hole before holding off a furious late rally.

The Golden Gophers (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) ended an eight-game losing streak in the rivalry with their first victory at Wisconsin since 2009.

The Badgers (10-4, 2-1) couldn’t capitalize on several opportunities down the stretch, particularly from the free throw line. Wisconsin went 3 of 10 from the line at one point, including Ethan Happ missing the front end on back-to-back 1-and-1 situations after the Badgers had cut the lead to seven with just more than eight minutes to go.

Still, Happ’s steal and dunk, coupled with D’Mitrik Trice’s floater, cut the margin to 49-47 with two minutes left. But then Coffey hit a runner and Dupree McBrayer turned a steal into a breakaway to end the threat. Happ had 17 points to lead Wisconsin.

Purdue 86, No. 25 Iowa 70

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Carsen Edwards scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half and Purdue beat Iowa.

Matt Haarms had 14 points and Aaron Wheeler added 10 for the Boilermakers (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten). They have won three straight for the first time since starting the season 4-0.

Tyler Cook had 24 pointsfor the Hawkeyes (11-3, 0-3).