MADISON, Wis. -- Frank Kaminsky scored 31 points in his final home game, sophomore Nigel Hayes added 14 and No. 5 Wisconsin clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title with a 68-61 victory Sunday over Michigan State.
Kaminsky celebrated senior day with a dominating performance, going 11 of 17 from the field for the Badgers (26-3, 14-2).
The Spartans (19-10, 10-6) trailed by 22 points before rallying in the second half. Bryn Forbes' open three-pointer from the corner pulled them to within 64-53 with about 2:30 left, but Michigan State had no answer for Kaminsky.
Kaminsky banked a short jumper off the glass for a 13-point lead with 1:52 left before blocking a shot on the other end to whip the crowd into a frenzy.
Wisconsin's frontcourt had another strong performance, with the 7-foot Kaminsky leading the way. The big man with the ball-handling skills of a guard deftly sidestepped opponents in the lane to get to the hoop and added 3 three-pointers.
Eager to finish out the season at home on a high note, the Badgers didn't let up in the second half after leading by 11 at halftime.
Junior forward Sam Dekker added eight points, including two early baskets after halftime that helped the Badgers build their second-half cushion.
Brandon Dawson opened the second half by missing badly on a short jumper in the lane. On the other end, Kaminsky threw a high entry pass to Dekker, who found an open path for a layup after two Michigan State defenders overplayed the ball.
After another wasted possession for Michigan State, Kaminsky threw a touch pass from the three-point line to Hayes on the wing. Hayes waited for Dekker to cut across the edge of the paint for quick layup and 15-point lead with about 18:30 left.
Forbes finished with 21 points for Michigan State, which lost its second consecutive to fall into a fourth-place tie with Iowa.
CONNECTICUT 81, No. 21 SMU 73
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Rodney Purvis scored a career-high 28 points as UConn (17-11, 10-6 American) upset No. 21 SMU (23-6, 14-3), knocking the Mustangs out of first place in the American Athletic Conference.
Daniel Hamilton scored 14 of his 16 points in the final 7:41 and Ryan Boatright added 23 points for the defending national champion Huskies, who won for the first time this season against a ranked opponent.
Markus Kennedy had 18 points to lead SMU, which had won five consecutive, 13 of its past 14 and 21 of its past 23 games.
The Mustangs led once, 53-51 on a jumper in the lane by Kennedy with 8:10 left. But Hamilton responded with back-to-back three-pointers and UConn pushed the lead back to double figures.
NO. 25 PROVIDENCE 77, MARQUETTE 66
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- LaDontae Henton had 25 points and 15 rebounds as No. 25 Providence (20-9, 10-6 Big East) held off Marquette (11-17, 3-13)
Kris Dunn added 16 points and nine assists for the Friars.
Duane Wilson led Marquette with 22 points, while Matt Carlino had 21 points and six assists. The Golden Eagles have lost five consecutive and 11 of their past 12.
Providence trailed 19-14 before later using a 19-5 run to take a 40-29 lead into halftime. The Friars led by 20 points with under 10 minutes remaining before the Golden Eagles rallied to pull within 70-63 after Wilson made a three-pointer with 2:47 left.
The Friars closed out strong as the Golden Eagles managed one basket the rest of the way.
Sports on 03/02/2015