Big Ten Basketball : Michigan Routs Indiana to Win the Title Again

Roy Tarpley collected 21 points and 11 rebounds as No. 7-ranked Michigan turned Indiana inside out while routing the No. 16-ranked Hoosiers, 80-52, Saturday at Ann Arbor, Mich., to win a second consecutive Big Ten basektball championship.

Michigan (27-4 overall, 14-4 in the conference) became the first team to win consecutive Big Ten titles since Indiana did it in 1980 and ’81. The Wolverines hadn’t repeated since winning three straight titles in 1964-66.

The Wolverines powered to a 36-16 lead and had the game virtually in hand with a 44-25 lead at halftime.

Wolverine Coach Bill Frieder, who was carried off the court by his players after the victory, credited his team’s defense.

“It started out with the defense,” he said. “Our defense on (Steve) Alford was superior and that was (due to) Gary Grant.”

With Grant hounding Alford on the perimeter, Michigan’s size up front was just too much for the Hoosiers (21-7, 13-5). Tarpley and forwards Butch Wade and Richard Rellford limited Indiana’s front line of Daryl Thomas (2), Rick Calloway (4) and Andre Harris (8) to 14 points. Thomas and Calloway together had averaged a total of 30 points a game.

Rellford scored 13 points for Michigan, and guard Antoine Joubert hit for 16.

Thomas committed his fourth foul in the first minute of the second half, and Indiana was unable to put together any rally. Alford was limited to just three second-half points and finished with 15. Reserve center Todd Jadlow came in to score 11 points, and Winston Morgan added 10 for Indiana.

A record Crisler Arena crowd of 14,198 watched. The previous record of 14,063 was set Jan. 10, 1976, in a game against Indiana.

Michigan State 91, Ohio State 81--Scott Skiles scored 43 points in his final home game as the No. 17-ranked Spartans beat the Buckeyes at East Lansing, Mich.

Skiles scored 12 straight points to give Michigan State (21-7, 12-6) a 69-59 lead with 5:20 left, and the Buckeyes (14-14, 8-10) couldn’t catch up. Brad Sellers had 24 points for Ohio State, and Dennis Hopson added 22.

Illinois 73, Minnesota 64--Glynn Blackwell scored 20 points and Efrem Winters added 16 at Minneapolis as the 19th-ranked Illini handed the Gophers their eighth straight defeat.

Illinois (21-9, 11-7) is expected to receive an NCAA Tournament invitation. Marc Wilson scored 18 points for Minnesota (15-16, 5-13).

Iowa 77, Purdue 64--Andre Banks scored 21 points, and the Hawkeyes made a final bid for an NCAA tournament invitation by turning back the Boilermakers at Iowa City, Iowa.

Al Lorenzen added 12 points and 7 rebounds for Iowa (20-11, 10-8). Troy Lewis had 19 points for Purdue (22-9, 11-7).