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Top 25 roundup: Spartans hold off Wolverines for sixth Big Ten Tournament title

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo greets fans as he walks off after defeating Michigan 65-60 in the Big Ten Conference Tournament title game on Sunday in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)
Associated Press

Matt McQuaid scored a career-high 27 points, Cassius Winston converted the go-ahead layup in the closing minute and No. 6 Michigan State rallied to beat No. 10 Michigan 65-60 on Sunday in Chicago for its sixth Big Ten Tournament championship.

The top-seeded Spartans (28-6) rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half and scored the final 10 points for their first championship since 2016. No other program has won the tournament as many times as Michigan State, and this one was particularly sweet.

After all, the Spartans prevented a championship three-peat by Michigan (28-6) and beat their rival for the third time this season.

McQuaid made a personal-best seven 3-pointers. Winston, the Big Ten Player of the Year, had 14 points and 11 assists to help Michigan State win for the 10th time in 11 games. The Spartans were awarded a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face Bradley in the first round on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ignas Brazdeikas led Michigan with 19 points.

(22) Auburn 84, (8) Tennessee 64: In Nashville, Tennessee, Bryce Brown scored 19 points and the Tigers upset the Volunteers to win their first Southeastern Conference Tournament championship since 1985.

Auburn (26-9) won its fourth game in four days to capture only the second SEC Tournament title in program history. The Tigers have won eight straight and 10 of their last 11.

Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl have become the nemesis to his old program, beating Tennessee (29-5) three straight times. Auburn ruined Tennessee’s hopes of winning back-to-back SEC regular-season titles for the first time with an 84-80 win to wrap up the season a week ago, and the Tigers also are the last team to beat Tennessee in Knoxville.

Chuma Okeke scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds for Auburn, and Danjel Purifoy added 10. Lamonte’ Turner led Tennessee with 24 points. Grant Williams, the two-time SEC player of the year, was held to 13.

(24) Cincinnati 69, (11) Houston 57: In Memphis, Tennessee, Jarron Cumberland had 33 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bearcats past the Cougars in the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship game.

Cane Broome added 15 points, and Tre Scott had 12 to help Cincinnati advance to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight year. The Bearcats (28-6) also beat Houston in the final last year.

Armoni Brooks led Houston (31-3) with 17 points.