After Iowa went on an 8-0 run in the second half to take an eight-point lead, it looked like Michigan State's time at the 2011 Big Ten tournament and its NCAA tournament hopes were both coming to an end. The Spartans charged back with a 14-2 run of their own, however, and eventually they won by a score of 66-61. The win means MSU advances to the quarterfinals to play Purdue on Friday.
Michigan State and Purdue played twice during the regular season, and both games were double-digit wins for the Boilermakers. The first meeting came on Jan. 22 in West Lafayette, and Purdue won, 86-76. The more recent game was just last month, on Feb. 27, and Purdue ran MSU out of its own arena. The Boilermakers won by a score of 67-47 and put on a clinic against the Spartans.
Friday's game between MSU and Purdue will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will get the second session of the day going at the Big Ten tournament. If MSU were to win, it would move on to the semifinals on Saturday to play the winner of Wisconsin's game (the Badgers will play either Penn State or Indiana). A loss would send the Spartans packing and waiting until Selection Sunday to find out if they will be in the 2011 NCAA tournament.
With the MSU/Iowa game factored in, below is a look at the updated 2011 Big Ten tournament bracket.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Northwestern (beat Minnesota, 75-65, in first round)
No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 5 Illinois
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No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Michigan State (beat Iowa, 66-61, in first round)
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Penn State/No. 11 Indiana
For more on the 2011 Big Ten tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream.