Indiana Done In by Native Son

Like many kids growing up in Indiana, Brody Boyd dreamed of playing for the Hoosiers and winning Big Ten titles. Well, Boyd has his conference title, but it came at the expense of the Hoosiers.

After averaging only five points a game during the regular season, Boyd scored 22 points Sunday at the United Center in Chicago as Iowa defeated Indiana, 63-61, to win the Big Ten tournament.

Reggie Evans blocked Kirk Haston’s three-point attempt with three seconds left to give Iowa (22-11) the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

“Everybody that grows up in Indiana wants to be a Hoosier. But things change and people want to go to different places,” Boyd said. “This win today is just unbelievable.”

Playing their fourth game in four days, the Hawkeyes trailed by as many as nine points in the first half. But Boyd made three consecutive three-point baskets, the last one tying the score, 42-42, with 12:01 left.

With 1:43 left, Duez Henderson scored to give Iowa a 61-59 lead. Haston missed a jumper from the top of the key with 1:12 left.

Tom Coverdale missed a three-point shot with 24 seconds left, and Boyd got the rebound. He was fouled and made both shots to give Iowa a 63-59 lead with 21 seconds left.

Haston led Indiana (21-12) with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but he went nine minutes in the second half without scoring.

SOUTHEASTERN

It doesn’t seem to matter how the season starts for Kentucky because it ends the same way almost every year.

Tayshaun Prince scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the No. 15 Wildcats defeated No. 14 Mississippi, 77-55, in the SEC championship game at Nashville, giving them their 23rd title in 42 tournaments.

Kentucky (22-9) is 24-7 in championship games and 8-1 since the SEC split into two divisions in 1992. The Wildcats have won the championship eight of the last 10 years.

Not even the most loyal Kentucky fan could have expected this after the Wildcats, with six freshmen on the roster, started the season by losing five of their first eight games. But when the league’s top seeds met for the tournament title, Mississippi (25-7) didn’t have much of a chance.

“We’re just thankful we’re able to come out of here with the SEC championship,” Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith said.

The poor start had fans calling for Smith to be fired. On Sunday, they chanted his name over and over. Smith said it was gratifying that his team recovered from the start and responded.

Mississippi had a three-game winning streak, the best record in school history and a 65-55 victory over Kentucky on Jan. 20.

But the Rebels had their worst shooting day of the season, making only 18 of 62 shots (29%).

BIG 12

Stick an asterisk next to the line where it says Oklahoma had the lowest-scoring half in conference tournament history. The Sooners won anyway.

Recovering from an 18-point deficit and its own record futility, No. 16 Oklahoma (26-6) held No. 20 Texas to only three baskets in the second half en route to a 54-45 victory at Kemper Arena in Kansas City.

Texas (25-8) lost the lead for good when tournament MVP Nolan Johnson made a layup and completed a three-point play that put the Sooners ahead, 48-45, with 1:44 left.

The Longhorns, who led, 26-8, late in the first half, did not make a basket during the final 11 minutes of the game.

The Sooners, who made 13 of their last 14 free throws while beating Kansas in the semifinals, made 15 of 16 down the stretch to complete the comeback.