The Big Ten opens conference play Tuesday night with three entertaining games. Everything ended up going as planned, but there was some drama along the way.
Let’s see what happened.
–24 USC Trojans 82, Oregon Ducks 77
This was arguably the most meaningful game of the night as both teams needed a win. USC needs to prove that a 7-0 start is not a mirage, while Oregon looks to put its early struggles behind it. The game also looks relatively competitive, at least on paper, considering it’s being played in Eugene.
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Things basically went according to this plan. Oregon State took an early lead, but the Trojans fought back at halftime. Although the second half remained competitive, USC prevailed by five points at the buzzer. Chad Baker-Mazzara scored 25 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Kwame Evans scored 23 points for Oregon in the loss.
The win moved USC to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. It’s unclear where the Trojans will rank in the Big Ten, but it’s certainly a positive start for the team. Oregon, on the other hand, is 4-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. It’s the program’s worst start in eight games since 2022, although the 4-4 start doesn’t include any league play. Before that, you had to go back to 2009 to find the Ducks had such a lackluster start to the year.
USC returns home to face Washington on Saturday. The Ducks will travel to UCLA on Saturday. KenPom expects another loss in Oregon.
–Maryland Terrapins 89, Wagner Seahawks 63
There isn’t much worth noting about this. Maryland took on a far inferior opponent at home and easily won by 26 points. Pharrel Payne had a great performance, scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The win pushed Maryland to 6-3 overall. The Terps now prepare to open Big Ten action on the road against Iowa State on Saturday.
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–7 Michigan State Spartans 71, Iowa Hawkeyes 52
This was considered the best match of the night. Michigan State is on the rise, and Iowa looks to be one of the most underrated teams in the country. The Spartans had other ideas, however, and the team outscored the Eagles in the first half to seal a 19-point victory. Jeremy Fiers performed well in this game, scoring 14 points and 6 assists. Jackson Kohler also had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Iowa struggled to score all night, allowing just 0.90 points per possession.
Michigan State improves to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten with the win, while Iowa drops to 7-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten with the loss. The win moves the Spartans into the KenPom top 10 nationally and prepares them for Saturday’s home game against Duke. Iowa will try to get back on track Saturday at home against Maryland.
–Penn State Nittany Lions 87 points, Campbell Camels 76 points
This game might have been closer than Nittany Lion fans had hoped, but Penn State still managed to take care of business and pull out an 11-point victory at home. Kayden Mingo had a stellar performance in the win, finishing with 21 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Ivan Juric also scored 16 points. The win brings Penn State’s record to 8-1 on the season. The team now prepares to play next Tuesday in Big Ten action on the road against Indiana.
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–No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers 81, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 65
The Scarlet Knights have seen some magic at home against Purdue in the past and hope to see more on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for them, that was not to be the case as the Boilermakers won handily. Trey Kaufman-Lane was dominant in the paint, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Brayden Smith also scored 16 points as Purdue shredded Rutgers’ defense.
The win pushes Purdue to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, while Rutgers drops to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The Boilers will now prepare for a big home game against Iowa State on Saturday. Rutgers will try to avoid another loss on the road at Michigan on Saturday.
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