ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference has announced the full bracket for the 28th Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament that will take place March 9-13 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Maryland (21-2, 17-1 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament after securing the outright Big Ten Championship, its third in a row and sixth in seven years with Saturday’s 88-61 win at home over Penn State. Along with their six conference titles, the Terrapins have won four Big Ten Tournament championships (2015, 2016, 2017, 2020) since joining the conference prior to the 2014-15 season.

Maryland will open tournament play at 11 a.m. (ET) Thursday with a quarterfinal contest against the winner of the second-round game between No. 8 seed Nebraska and No. 9 seed Minnesota.

Indiana (18-4, 16-2) is the No. 2 seed for this year’s Big Ten Tournament after the Hoosiers finished second in the conference standings, their highest placement since sharing the Big Ten title in 1982-83 and set a school record for conference wins in a season. Indiana, which advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals last year for the first time since 2006, will tip off its postseason schedule at 6:30 p.m. (ET) Thursday with a tournament quarterfinal game against the winner of the second-round matchup between No. 7 seed Michigan State and 10th-seeded Penn State.

Rutgers (14-3, 10-3) earned the No. 3 seed for the Big Ten Tournament, ending the regular season on a nine-game winning streak to match the program’s highest finish (third) since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15. The Scarlet Knights will play in the last Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against either No. 6 seed Iowa or No. 11 seed Purdue on Thursday night, 25 minutes following the completion of Indiana’s quarterfinal.

Rounding out the top four seeds in this year’s Big Ten Tournament is Michigan (14-4, 9-4), which claimed the last of the tournament’s double-byes into the quarterfinal round by virtue of Saturday’s home win over Northwestern. The Wolverines have advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals the past two years and will open this year’s tournament slate Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals against No. 5 seed Northwestern, No. 12 seed Illinois or No. 13 seed Wisconsin, playing 25 minutes after Maryland’s game has concluded.

All 12 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be televised live to a national audience, with the first round and opening two second-rounds games on Tuesday and Wednesday broadcast on BTN. FS2 then takes over as the presenting broadcast outlet, televising the remaining two second-round games, as well as the quarterfinals and semifinals from Wednesday through Friday. All BTN and FS2 games can also be seen live on the FOX Sports app. The Big Ten Tournament championship game will be played at 2 p.m. (ET) March 13 and will be televised live on ESPNU, as well as the ESPN app.

The Big Ten Conference has announced it will allow a limited number of fans to attend the 2021 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. Following approval by the Marion County Health Department, the decision to allow a limited capacity of 2,500 attendees was made jointly by the Big Ten Conference Directors of Athletics and the Council of President and Chancellors in consultation with the conference office.

A limited number of single-session tickets are now on sale to the general public through Ticketmaster and in-person at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse box office. Further details can be found on the official Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Central page at bigten.org/wbbt.

2021 Big Ten WBB Tournament Bracket

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark was named the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week and earned a spot on the conference’s Player of the Week Honor Roll, the Big Ten announced Sunday.

Clark has tallied 22 Big Ten Weekly honors on the season, including a Big Ten-best 13 Freshman of the Week honors, a Big Ten-record five Player of the Week honors as a freshman, and four Player of the Week Honor Roll nods.

Clark’s 13th Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor extends Clark’s own record. Clark also expanded her record for most weekly honors, tallying 13 Freshman and five Player of the Week honors — Megan Gustafson held the previous record with 13. She also owns the record for most Player of the Week nods as a Freshman, besting the record previously held by Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B. (4). Clark’s five Big Ten Player of the Week honors as a freshman believed to be an NCAA record.

In two games last week, Clark averaged 33.5 points 4.5 assists, five rebounds, and a steal. She was 13-of-14 from the free-throw line and recorded five 3-pointers in each of the two contests.

At No. 10 Indiana, Clark was 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and 11-of-18 from the field, finishing with 32 points, five assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Against Nebraska, Clark became just the fifth Hawkeye to record a 600-plus point season. She is the first freshman to accomplish the feat. Clark joins former Hawkeyes Megan Gustafson (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19), Cindy Haugejorde (1979-80), Michelle Edwards (1987-88), and Franthea Price (1989-90). She’s also only the fourth freshman across the nation to record 630+ points since 2015-16. Out of six student-athletes to record 600+ points, Clark ranks fourth for most points during a freshman campaign (631 points), playing seven fewer games than anyone on the list. Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter holds the record for most freshman points (816), playing 13 more games than the Hawkeyes have this season and averaging 22.6 points per game.

Clark leads the nation in total points (631), points per game (27.4), 3-pointers made (92), and 3-pointers per game. She leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally in total assists (158) and field goals made (210).

Clark and the Hawkeyes travel to Indianapolis to take on Purdue (11 seed) on Wednesday, March 10. Tipoff is set for 25 minutes after the Penn State (10 seed) vs. Michigan State (7 seed) that starts at 6:30 p.m. The game will air on FS2.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won the 2021 Big Ten Championships on Sunday, scoring 159.5 team points and crowning four individual champions.

Alex Marinelli won his third straight 165-pound conference title, and Spencer Lee defended his 125-pound championship. Jaydin Eierman and Michael Kemerer became first-time Big Ten champions, leading Iowa to its second straight and 37th Big Ten Conference title.

The team title is Iowa’s second in as many years and the 37th in program history. The Hawkeyes 35.5 point margin of victory is the largest by a conference champion since the 2010 Hawkeyes won by 37 points.

“We’re going to St. Louis in less than two weeks. That’s really where their heads are. That’s where my head is,” said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. “You talk about performance, let’s do it again. (Someone) mentioned finishing at your seed or performing above your expectations, and that’s what competitors do. Let’s do it in St. Louis.”

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

Lee surrendered the first takedown of the 125-pound title bout but went on to outscore Purdue’s Devin Schroder, 21-1, over the next four minutes. He led 11-3 by the end of the first period and terminated the match leading 21-3 with 30 seconds left in the second. He outscored his three opponents in the tournament, 44-7, winning twice by technical fall and once by fall.

“This was the qualifier for the next thing and the next thing is the NCAA tournament,” said Lee. “I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate winning, but this was the next thing and as soon as it’s over you have to get ready for what’s next… NCAA, Olympic Trials. We were in a tight team race. I did my job for the team.”

Eierman traded takedowns with Nick Lee in the first period at 141, but he totaled nearly two minutes of riding time and led 3-2 after the first period. Eierman escaped in the second to extend his lead to 4-2. In the third period, Lee added a takedown and point for stalling, but another Eierman escape and a point for riding time gave him the 6-5 lead.

“This is an unreal feeling,” said Eierman. “Last year I was on the outside looking in. It’s a lot more fun being on the inside. I’m getting a better feel every match. This is a great tournament, a great opponent every match. It is a great preview for nationals.”

Marinelli used a second-period takedown and third-period escape to win the 165-pound title, 3-2, against Ohio State’s Ethan Smith. The Big Ten title is the third for Marinelli. He is one of 26 Hawkeyes in program history to win three conference championships, joining a list of seven four-timers and now 19 three-timers.

“The only thing I can say is that I am thankful to be wrestling with my guys,” said Marinelli. “We have waited a whole year and come full circle. I am thankful to be on the board with the three-time champs and feel very blessed. I have the best teammates and coaches in the world.”

Twice a Big Ten runner-up, Kemerer controlled the 174-pound finals and earned a 7-2 decision against Penn State’s Carter Starocci. Kemerer scored a takedown in the first, added another in the second, and tacked on a pair of back points to earn his first career Big Ten title.

“It feels good to be on top. Knowing how it feels to not be on top makes it feel better,” said Kemerer. “We feel like we’re better every time we get on the mat. Whether it’s a match or a workout, every time on the mat increases our scoring abilities. We need to keep the momentum going.”

Nine Hawkeyes finished fourth or better at the better in the tournament. Austin DeSanto and Kaleb Young placed runner-up at 133 and 157, respectively. Jacob Warner and Tony Cassioppi rebounded from semifinal losses with a pair of wins Saturday to place third. Nelson Brands won four matches over the weekend to place fourth at 184.

The Hawkeyes were 28-8 in the two-day tournament, winning six times by fall, twice by technical fall and two times by major decision.

AWARDS SEASON

Lee was named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Year for the second straight year. He heads into the NCAA Championships ranked No. 1 in the country with a 7-0 record. He has pinned five of his seven opponents, all in the first period, and won the other two bouts by technical fall. He has outscored his opponents 82-7.

Tom Brands was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight year and the fifth time in his career. He was won the award more than any other coach in school history. He was previously recognized in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2020 following conference titles. Iowa has six Big Ten championships under Brands (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2021).

ON TO THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Nine Hawkeyes earned automatic berths to the national tournament in St. Louis on March 18-20. The Big Ten Conference tournament is one of seven NCAA qualifying tournaments across the country. The NCAA will announce the tournament qualifiers Tuesday. Iowa’s Max Murin did not earn an automatic qualifying spot but is eligible for an at-large berth at 149. The entire brackets will be released Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT) on the NCAA Selection Show at NCAA.com.

NOTABLES

• ·       Spencer Lee was named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Year. He also won the award in 2020. He is the third Hawkeyes to earn the award more than once (Royce Alger, 1987-1988; Mark Ironside, 1996-1997-1998)
• ·       Tom Brands was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, his fifth career honor (2008, 2009, 2010, 2020, 2021).
• ·       Iowa’s team title is the 37th in program history, best in the Big Ten.
• ·       Iowa’s point total (159.5) is its highest since 1995 (185).
• ·       Iowa’s 35.5 point margin of victory is the largest by a conference champion since the 2010 Hawkeyes won by 37 points.
• ·       Spencer Lee became the 57th multi-Big Ten champion in program history.
• ·       Jaydin Eierman became the 116^th Big Ten Champion in program history
• ·       Michael Kemerer became the 117^th Big Ten Champion in program history
• ·       Marinelli became the first Hawkeye to win three conference titles since T.J. Williams in 1999-2001. There have been 19 three-time Big Ten champions and seven four-time champions in program history.

FINALS RESULTS

• 125 – #1 Spencer Lee (IA) tech. fall #7 Devin Schroder (PU), 21-3 (4:30)
• 133 – #1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) dec. #2 Austin DeSanto (IA), 5-2
• 141 – #1 Jaydin Eierman (IA) dec. #2 Nick Lee (PSU), 6-5
• 157 – #1 Ryan Deakin (NU) dec. #2 Kaleb Young (IA), 6-0
• 165 – #1 Alex Marinelli (IA) dec. #3 Ethan Smith (OSU), 3-2
• 174 – #1 Michael Kemerer (IA) dec. #3 Carter Starocci (PSU), 7-2

THIRD-PLACE RESULTS

• 184 – #5 John Poznanski (RUT) dec. #9 Nelson Brands (IA), 3-2
• 197 – #3 Jacob Warner (IA) dec. #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU), 8-3
• 285 – #3 Tony Cassioppi (IA) major dec. #7 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU), 9-0

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

1.           IOWA                159.5
2.           Penn State         124.0
3.           Nebraska            105.5
4.           Michigan            92.0
5.           Minnesota          77.5
6.           Purdue                76.0
7.           Northwestern    74.0
8.           Michigan State 73.5
9.           Ohio State          69.5
10.           Rutgers               52.0
11.           Illinois                 32.0
12.           Wisconsin           30.5
13.           Indiana               22.0
14.           Maryland            2.0

BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Wrestler of the Year: Spencer Lee, IOWA
Freshman of the Year: Carter Starocci, PSU
Coach of the Year: Tom Brands, IOWA
Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships: Gable Steveson, Minnesota

2021 ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

• Spencer Lee, IOWA
• Jaydin Eierman, IOWA
• Alex Marinelli, IOWA
• Michael Kemerer, IOWA
• Roman Bravo-Young, PSU
• Sammy Sasso, OSU
• Ryan Deakin, NU
• Aaron Brooks, PSU
• Myles Amine, MICH
• Gable Steveson, MINN

TULSA, Okla. – Iowa State’s David Carr (157) and Gannon Gremmel (285) each battled to individual Big 12 titles on Sunday night at the Big 12 Championship. As a team, the No. 13 Cyclones finished third in Tulsa with 117.5 team points, closely behind co-champions No. 19 Oklahoma and No. 6 Oklahoma State with 124 team points.

Next Up: Iowa State will turn its attention to the 2021 NCAA Championships. At-large selections for the championship are set to come out on Tuesday, followed by the seeds and brackets on Wednesday. The NCAA Championships are set for March 18-20 in St. Louis, Mo.

NCAA Qualifiers
After winning in the semifinals, Parker, Carr and Gremmel all secured their spot in St. Louis in a couple of weeks. Zach Redding’s third-place finish, Jarrett Degen’s fourth-place finish and Marcus Coleman’s fourth-place finish have all solidified their spot at the NCAA Championships.

Iowa State Placements
125: Kysen Terukina, 6^th
133: Zach Redding, 3^rd
141: Ian Parker, 2^nd
149: Jarrett Degen, 4^th
157: David Carr, 1^st
184: Sam Colbray, 5^th
197: Marcus Coleman, 4^th
285: Gannon Gremmel, 1^st

Team Scores
1. Oklahoma, 124
1. Oklahoma State, 124
3. Iowa State, 117.5
4. Wyoming, 105.5
5. UNI, 79
6. North Dakota State, 78
7. Northern Colorado, 70.5
8. South Dakota State, 67.5
9. West Virginia, 57
10. Utah Valley, 55
11. Air Force, 32.5
12. Fresno State, 31

With Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Luka Garza scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds as No. 5 Iowa defeated No. 25 Wisconsin 77-73. It was the 12th double-double of the season for Garza, who leads the Big Ten in scoring and is third in the nation. Iowa has won seven of eight and is 20-7 overall. The Hawkeyes will be the third seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Micah Potter shot 9 for 12 and scored 23 points for Wisconsin, which has lost five of six.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cameron Krutwig and Braden Norris scored 20 points apiece to help Loyola Chicago roll past Drake 75-65 in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Keith Clemons added 13 points for the Ramblers, who will be making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the 2018 team reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed. D.J. Wilkins and Tremell Murphy had 20 points each for Drake, which was making its first MVC final appearance since 2008.

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Ryan Young’s putback with 2.7 seconds left gave Northwestern a 79-78 win over Nebraska in a regular-season finale. Pete Nance missed a running hook but Young was there to follow with the game-winner. Six Wildcats finished in double figures, led by Chase Audige with 14 points. Kobe Webster had 23 points and seven 3-pointers, both career highs, to lead the Cornhuskers. Both teams begin play in the Big Ten tournament on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

NEW YORK (AP) — Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili and Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl were unanimous selections to the All Big East Conference basketball team. The league announced the team Sunday based on a vote of the coaches. They were not allowed to vote for their own players. The other four first-team members are James Bouknight of Connecticut, Marcus Zegarowski of Creighton, Julian Champagnie of St. John’s, and Collin Gillespie of Villanova, which won the regular-season title. One of the six will be the conference’s player of the year. The award will be announced Wednesday along with coach of the year, freshman of the year and scholar-athlete. The league’s tournament is scheduled to start Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cameron Krutwig and Braden Norris scored 20 points apiece to help Loyola Chicago roll past Drake 75-65 in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Keith Clemons added 13 points for the Ramblers, who will be making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the 2018 team reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

Drake’s D.J. Wilkins (0) shoots over Loyola of Chicago’s Tate Hall during the first half of the championship game in the NCAA Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament Sunday, March 7, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

D.J. Wilkins and Tremell Murphy had 20 points each for Drake, which was making its first MVC final appearance since 2008.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Luka Garza scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds as No. 5 Iowa defeated No. 25 Wisconsin 77-73. It was the 12th double-double of the season for Garza, who leads the Big Ten in scoring and is third in the nation. Iowa has won seven of eight and is 20-7 overall.

Iowa center Luka Garza reacts after making a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Wisconsin, Sunday, March 7, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The Hawkeyes will be the third seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Micah Potter shot 9 for 12 and scored 23 points for Wisconsin, which has lost five of six.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (via HawkeyeSports.com) — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team swept the season series over Nebraska, with an 83-75 victory in the regular-season finale Saturday night, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  In a game that featured zero double-digit leads, 11 ties and 10 lead changes, Iowa was able to put Nebraska away in the fourth quarter. The dagger helped give Iowa its eighth win in the last 11 meetings against Nebraska. Caitlin Clark, te freshman from Des Moines, scored 19 of her game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter for her 11th 30-point game of the season to help Iowa get over the hump down the stretch. Clark missed only one shot in the final frame, going 4-of-5 from the field, 3-of-4 from the long distance, and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.

Clark scored her 601st point of the season 3:08 into the game, becoming the fifth Hawkeye to record 600 points in a single season. She joins Hawkeye greats Megan Gustafson, Cindy Haugejorde, Michelle Edwards, and Franthea Price. Clark now has 631 points on the season. Sophomore Gabbie Marshall was a spark on both ends for the Hawkeyes, scoring 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from behind the arc and swiping three steals on defense. Sophomore McKenna Warncok was the third Hawkeye in double figures with 12 points. Redshirt sophomore Kate Martin scored seven points, grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, and dished out a game-high five assists.

Redshirt senior Alexis Sevillian and senior Zion Sanders were honored after tonight’s game. The two were Iowa’s captains this season. Sevillian, a Goodrich, Michigan native, has appeared in 111 games, with 65 starts in her Hawkeye career, averaging 5.9 points per game on 34.6 percent 3-point shooting. Sanders, an Evansville, Indiana, native appeared in 61 games in her Hawkeye career and was a leader on and off the court.

Iowa earned the six seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will face 11th-seeded Purdue on Wednesday, March 10. The game will tipoff 25 minutes after the conclusion of the previous game between Penn State and Michigan State that begins at 5:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on FS2.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Tyler Hoosman ran for 63 yards and his 13-yard touchdown run with 3:24 left helped seal No. 3-ranked Northern Iowa’s 20-10 win over 15th-ranked Illinois State. The Panthers’ four-play, 24-yard drive was set up when Jared Brinkman recovered a fumble forced by teammate Spencer Cuvelier on a sack of Illinois State quarterback Bryce Jefferson. In what was a defensive scrum throughout, both defensive units tended get the better of each others offenses than the other way around. Under pressure throughout, Jefferson finished 13-for-27 passing for 69 yards and ran for 60 yards on 14 carries.