The Guru’s Big Ten Tournament Report: Ohio State Emerges Top Seed While Iowa, Michigan, and Maryland Follow

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

What a day and finish to the regular season of the Big Ten title race.

Things went topsy turvy in the last two weeks with Michigan on the verge of locking up the No. 1 seed or perhaps Indiana and then having Ohio State and Iowa dart up to a 1-2 finish.

The two locals who played — Rutgers and Penn State — split their Sunday success in reverse to what most of the season was with the Lady Lions losing at home to Minnesota 94-83 and the Scarlet Knights winning for only the third time in league play winning at Illinois 66-56.

As a result, in what will be a throwback Wednesday to their rivalry dating all the way back to AIAW days and on to the Atlantic 10 and then non-conference when Rutgers went old Big East, the two will face each other in a Big Ten opener and also making it a season decider after the two each won once in their two meetings.

In the Rutgers game, played at the Illini’s State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill., the Scarlet Knights went the explosive 23-point final quarter route they used in several contests to finish with the 13th seed with their  second road triumph of the season and third win their last five games after what had been an 0-12 struggle within conference before finally winning at home in the second meeting with Penn State.

Shug Dickson scored 19 points, making it two straight with that total for Rutgers (10-19, 3-14 Big Ten) while Sayawani Lassiter had a career-high 18 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field. Osh Brown also scored in double figures connecting for 12 points against Illinois (6-19, 1-13). 

“We settled down in the second half, got some good shots,” said Rutgers’ acting coach Tim Eatman, who has filled in for Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer, who stepped away for the season out of concerns for covid. 

“I’m so excited for them,” he said of his squad. “Because we’re finally learning to play Rutgers basketball. I wish I could coach them for another month. They’re starting to play like they’re supposed to. They’re sharing the basketball. They’re playing terrific defense.”

Penn State, meanwhile, fell short to Minnesota at home in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College on a Senior Day honoring Niya Beverley and Kelly Jekot.

Makenna Marisa scored 28 points for the Lady Lions (11-17, 5-13 Big Ten), of which 20 came in the second half. Tova Sabel scored a career-high 19 points, shooting 7-of-8 from the field.

The Penn State bench had a lopsided 28-2 advantage on Minnesota (14-16, 7-11), which managed to outscore the Lady Lions in a combined high powered offensive effort from both sides.

The Gophers’ Kadiatou Sissoko scored 32 points with 14 rebounds, while Sara Scalia also scored 32, and Laura Bagwell Katalinich had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Elsewhere in the conference, No. 6 Michigan had its dreams of a top-seed dismantled by No. 21 Iowa 104-80 at home in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City as the Hawkeyes (20-7, 14-4 Big Ten) ended up sharing the conference crown with No. 17 Ohio State.

Sophomore sensation Caitlin Clark fired 8-of-11 from deep propelling her to an overall 38 points while dealing 11 assists. Monika Czinano scored 19 points and Gabbie Marshall scored 10.

Naz Hillmon scored 18 and grabbed 15 rebounds for Michigan (22-5, 13-4), while Laila Phelia scored 16, Emily Kiser scored 12, and Maddie Nolan scored 11.

It’s the first time in 14 seasons dating to 2008 coach Lisa Bluder’s team had a claim to a share or outright ownership of the regular season crown.

Ohio State, meanwhile, on the road beat Michigan State 61-55 in East Lansing to claim the other share of the Big Ten title for the first time since 2018 as Jacy Sheldon had 13 points and 10 assists, while Taylor Thierry grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for the Buckeyes (22-5, 14-4 Big Ten). The Spartans fell to 14-14 overall and 8-9 in the conference.

In the rest of conference games, Wisconsin on the road edged Purdue 63-62, and Nebraska at home beat Northwestern 73-59, 

Big Ten Tournament Seeds Set

Ohio State’s win Over Iowa on Jan. 31 became the deal breaker to get the No. 1 seed in this week’s tournament in Indianapolis, with Iowa sharing the crown but dropping to No. 2 ahead of No. 3 Michigan.

No. 13-ranked Maryland (21-7, 13-4 Big Ten) earned the No. 4 seed with Friday’s win for the tourney at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Terrapins are finishing on a 9-of-10 surge beating the top two seeds and fifth-seeded Indiana closing out the regular season. They are 19-2 all-time in the Big Ten event, advancing to seven straight title games and wining five.

Wednesday (B1G-TV)

1st Round

2 p.m. No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 13 Rutgers; 4:30 p.m. No. 11 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Illinois.

Thursday (B1G-TV)

Second Round

11:30 a.m. No. 8 Michigan State vs. No. 9 Purdue; 2 p.m. No. 5 Indiana vs. (12-13) Penn State-Rutgers winner; 6:30 p.m. No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Minnesota; 9 p.m. No. 6 Nebraska vs. (11-14) Wisconsin-Illinois winner.

Friday (B1G-TV)

Quarterfinals

11:30 a.m. No. 1 Ohio State vs. (8-9) Michigan State-Purdue winner; 2 p.m. No. 4 Maryland vs. (5-12-13) Indiana-Penn State-Rutgers winner; 6:30 p.m. No. 2 Iowa vs. (7-10) Northwestern-Minnesota winner; 9 p.m. No. 3 Michigan vs. (2-7-10) Iowa-Northwestern-Minnesota winner.

Saturday (B1G-TV)

Semifinals

3:30 p.m. (1-8-9) Ohio State-Michigan State-Purdue winner vs. (4-5-12-13) Maryland-Indiana-Penn State-Rutgers winner.

6 p.m. (2-7-10) Iowa-Northwestern-Minnesota winner vs. (3-6-11-14) Michigan-Nebraska-Wisconsin-Illinois winner. 

Sunday (ESPN2)

Championship

4 p.m. (1-8-9-4-5-12-13) Ohio State-Michigan State-Purdue-Maryland-Indiana-Penn State-Rutgers winner vs. (2-7-10-3-6-11-14) Iowa-Northwestern-Minnesota-Michigan-Nebraska-Wisconsin-Illinois.

And that’s the Big Ten report.