Sunday's college basketball: Leigha Brown, No. 13 Michigan top No. 5 Baylor in OT
Uncasville, Conn. — Michigan has had many good wins in program history but never has been able to beat a top-five opponent until Sunday.
That Michigan could end that 0-33 mark against Baylor made it extra special because the Bears ended the Wolverines’ season last year in the Sweet 16.
Leigha Brown scored 25 points to lead No. 13 Michigan to a 74-68 win over fifth-ranked Baylor in the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet we beat a top-five team,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “It’s a great signature win.”
The game was a rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament overtime thriller that Baylor won 78-75. NaLyssa Smith made all 11 of her shots from the field in that game. While the stakes weren’t the same, this game was just as competitive.
“We had a bad taste in our mouth how it ended,” Brown said. “That’s in the back of our minds this whole season. It feels great.
Leading 66-65 in OT, Emily Kiser made two free throws and Brown added a jumper that gave the Wolverines (11-1) a five-point lead with 1:23 left.
Baylor (9-2) got within 70-68 and after a turnover had a chance to tie it, but Smith missed a drive down the lane with 15 seconds left. Maddie Nolan converted two free throws with 11.7 seconds left to seal the win.
Smith had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Baylor.
With the game tied at 59, Baylor had a chance to win it at the end of regulation. After Michigan star Naz Hillmon fouled out with 22.2 seconds left, the Bears missed a drive by Jordan Lewis. After the ball went out of bounds off a Michigan player, Smith missed a turnaround jumper on the baseline.
“No mystery. Not going to use her as a decoy,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen said. “Because the problem of using her as a decoy, it’s great if the play works. If it doesn’t, I’m an idiot. Put the ball in your best player’s hands and let her make a play.”
Michigan grabbed the rebound and couldn’t get a shot off in the final four-tenths of a second, sending the game to overtime.
The Wolverines were up comfortably by nine late in the third quarter before Hillmon picked up her fourth foul and the Bears were able to rally.
Michigan trailed by three after one quarter and led by four at the half.
Hillmon finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
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Bowling Green 72, Oakland 60: Bowling Green had four players score in double figures to lead a balanced attack, as the Falcons defeated Oakland 72-60 in the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas.
Nyla Hampton, Elissa Brett, Kadie Hempfling, and Zoe Miller scored 10 points each for Bowling Green (4-4).
Kahlaijah Dean led the way for Oakland (4-6), who struggled from the field shooting just 31 percent from the field. Kayla Luchenbach added eight points and six rebounds.
(At) No. 10 Indiana 67, Western Michigan 57: Mackenzie Holmes got her second double-double of the season and Grace Berger scored 16. Holmes grabbed her 10th rebound just under two minutes into the second half and finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Hoosiers (9-2). She set a career high in rebounds one game after scoring a career-best 30 against Ohio State.
Reilly Jacobson led Western Michigan (6-3) with 16 points. Taylor Williams had a double-double of her own for the Broncos, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
State men
(At) Detroit Mercy 89, Central Michigan 75: Madut Akec and Antoine Davis scored 25 each. The 25 points were a career high for Akec, who made 10 of 11 free throws. He added 10 rebounds. Davis made six 3-pointers. DJ Harvey had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Detroit (4-7).
Detroit scored 39 in the first half, a season high for the team.
Oscar Lopez Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Chippewas (1-10), whose losing streak reached eight. Cameron Healy added 15 points. Kevin Miller had 11 points and seven assists.
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Kansas State 67, Nebraska 58: Nijel Pack scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished five assists, sparking Kansas State to a 67-58 win over Nebraska Sunday.
Pack saw his first full action after missing two games, including the Wildcats' one-point loss to Marquette, after suffering a concussion in practice.
Pack hit a 3-pointer with 9:44 left to put Kansas State in front for good and Davion Bradford scored five unanswered points to put the Wildcats up, 53-47. Nebraska scored its final field goal with 3:22 left on a layup by Derrick Walker that got the Cornhuskers with in seven, 59-52.
Mark Smith hit a deep 3-pointer with 1:34 left to give Kansas State a 63-55 lead and Ismael Massoud and Pack each hit two free throws in the final minute to preserve the lead.
Massoud finished with 10 points for the Wildcats (7-3), who were just 23 of 59 from the field (39%), including 6 of 26 from behind the arc.
Nebraska, which has lost five straight games, struggled from the field, hitting 33% from the floor (19 of 58) and hit just 5 of 28 from long range.
Alonzo Verge Jr. finished with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists to lead Nebraska (5-7), which had just six players score. Bryce McGowens scored 14 points.