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Here is the latest Big Ten Conference sports news from The Associated Press

By The Associated Press
Updated: March 23, 2025 - 12:05 PM
Published: March 23, 2025 - 4:00 AM

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Chaz Lanier made four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points as No. 2 seed Tennessee advanced to a program-record third straight Sweet 16, beating seventh-seeded UCLA 67-58 in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers will play either sixth-seeded Illinois or No. 3 seed Kentucky in the Midwest Region semifinal Friday in Indianapolis. Lanier also set the Tennessee single-season record for 3s with 120. He topped the mark of 118 by Chris Lofton in 2007-08. UCLA made its earliest exit from the tournament in the six-year tenure of coach Mick Cronin.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State’s Carter Starocci won an unprecedented fifth national title and Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson stunned Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final at the NCAA men’s wrestling championships with President Donald Trump in attendance. Hendrickson, the transfer from Air Force, trailed in the last match of the evening until scoring on a takedown in the final minute — the only takedown Steveson allowed all season. Penn State claimed its third four-peat, running away from the field to claim its 12th men’s Division I men’s wrestling national title under coach Cael Sanderson. Nebraska finished second and Oklahoma State was third.

DENVER (AP) — BYU withstood a ferocious charge from Wisconsin’s John Tonje to hold off the Badgers for a 91-89 victory that sends the program to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. Tonje finished with 37 points, including eight during a desperate comeback down the stretch, but trailing by two, he shot a fadeaway air ball just before the buzzer that allowed the sixth-seeded Cougars to escape. Tonje was the first player to crack 30 points this year in March Madness. Richie Saunders scored 25 for the sixth-seeded Cougars.

DENVER (AP) — Michigan is going back to the Sweet 16 a year after a 24-loss season, using Roddy Gayle’s surge to beat Texas A&M 91-79 in the NCAA Tournament. Gayle scored 21 of his season-high 26 points in the second half to help the restocked Wolverines overcome a 10-point deficit and advance to Atlanta to face the Auburn-Creighton winner in the South Region. Vladislav Goldin had 23 points and 12 rebounds as fifth-seeded Michigan overcame another big day for Pharrel Payne, who led Texas A&M with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting. The Wolverines, who made a surprising run to the Big Ten tournament title, won for the fifth time in nine days.

SEATTLE (AP) — In the very recent past, the NCAA Tournament selection committee would seek to avoid having Oregon face Arizona in the second round of March Madness. But now that they’re no longer conference rivals, the former Pac-12 teams were placed in the same section of the East Region bracket. The winner of Sunday’s matchup moves on to the Sweet 16 in Newark, New Jersey, to face either top-seeded Duke or No. 9 seed Baylor. The Ducks have never played the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament. Also in the East, No. 2 seed Alabama is set to face seventh-seeded Saint Mary’s.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn had 22 points and 15 rebounds, and Purdue used a fast start to roll to a 76-62 win over McNeese in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Fletcher Loyer added 15 points and C.J. Cox finished with 11 points for the Boilermakers, who advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. Purdue will meet top-seeded Houston in the Midwest Region semifinals. Matt Painter is headed to his eighth Sweet 16 in 16 NCAA Tournament appearances as Purdue’s coach. Sincere Parker had 17 points to lead McNeese.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Even though their teams haven’t faced each other in four years, the admiration between Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and New Mexico’s Richard Pitino has not diminished. Their regard for each other will be put on hold for a couple of hours on Sunday night, when Izzo and Michigan State take on Pitino and New Mexico in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Izzo befriended Pitino during the younger coach’s eight-year tenure at Minnesota. Izzo thought the son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino made progress toward building a competitive program in the Big Ten.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Genesis Bryant scored 17 points and No. 8 Illinois earned its first NCAA Tournament victory in 25 years Saturday night with a 66-57 win over No. 9 Creighton. Illinois’ tough defense frustrated Creighton’s outside shooters as the Illini also dominated the rebounding. Kendall Bostic added 12 points and 17 rebounds for Illinois. Morgan Maly led Creighton with 18 points and Lauren Jensen scored 17. But the Bluejays’ top scorers all season were mostly contained for long stretches. Creighton rallied to within two early in the third before Illinois answered with consecutive 3-pointers from Brynn Shoup-Hill.