Sunday's college hoops: Michigan State women bounce back from layoff, blow past Wisconsin

Alisia Smith scored a career-high 19 points while Taiyier Parks and Nia Clouden each had 15 as Michigan State women showed little rust while downing Wisconsin 94-64 on Sunday in Madison, Wis., after a two-week layoff due to COVID-19 issues.

Moira Joiner added 10 points for MSU (9-2, 4-2 Big Ten) whose 32-point win was the largest margin of victory under 14-year head coach Suzy Merchant.

The Spartans, who led 40-35 at halftime, erupted in the second half by outscoring the Badgers 54-27. 

Imani Lewis scored 17 and Sydney Hilliard added 15 for Wisconsin (3-10, 0-10).

Big Ten men

►Rutgers 74, Indiana 70:  Geo Baker scored 19 points with four 3-pointers and a key free throw with eight seconds left, Ron Harper Jr. added 15 points and Rutgers defeated Indiana.

The Hoosiers were coming off a huge upset of No. 4 Iowa on Thursday night and had never lost to Rutgers at home.

Myles Johnson forced Saturday’s outcome towards the Scarlet Knights (8-6, 4-6 Big Ten Conference), winning a tough rebound battle by knocking the ball off the glass to get a better angle on it, then passing it to the perimeter where Indiana, railing 73-70, was forced to foul before time ran out.

Johnson scored eight points with eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals.

After Baker’s free throw, Indiana’s Aljami Durham missed a 3-pointer and Harper controlled the rebound, sealing Rutgers’ first win at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Rutgers, which joined the Big Ten in the 2014-15 season, has beaten Indiana in four of their last five meetings, but never in Bloomington.

Armaan Franklin’s pull-up 3-pointer brought the Hoosiers, who had trailed by as many as 14 after halftime, to 62-59 with just under eight minutes to play. Franklin scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had 23 points in Thursday’s upset at No. 4 Iowa, scored 13 points with seven rebounds for Indiana. Jackson-Davis was 4 of 10 shooting. Race Thompson scored 11.

Johnson had a hand in clutch plays down the stretch with a blocked shot, a drive for two points, two steals and two defensive rebounds in the last 9:05.

Rutgers plays host to Michigan State on Thursday. Indiana’s Jan. 30 game at No. 7 Michigan has been postponed by the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in the Wolverine program. The Hoosiers next play Feb. 2 when Illinois comes to Bloomington.