Big 10 takes down ACC 8-4

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The Big 10 dominated the 2011 installment of the Challenge, winning eight out of the 12 contests, and marking its third straight victory in the event.

Virginia 70, Michigan 58

An early-season upset kicked off the challenge with the Virginia Cavaliers defeating the No.15 Michigan Wolverines. The majority of the match-up was a close one, where points were hard to muster, but a 19-2 run in the second half helped the Hoos pull away and seal the deal. Michigan’s Tim Hardaway Jr. was held to only five points in the game. With this victory, the Cavs improve their record to 6-1 and make a case of being the third-best team in the ACC behind North Carolina and Duke.

Northwestern 76, Georgia Tech 60

A big game from John Shurna propelled Northwestern to a win over Georgia Tech and a 6-0 start on the season. Tech pulled the game to within three at the conclusion of the first half, but Shurna and the Wildcats offense put on an offensive clinic with solid-to-the-basket plays to break down the Jackets’ man-to-man.

Illinios 71, Maryland 62

It seemed as if the Terrapins were in control throughout the first half, but the Fighting Illini had other plans and fought back in the second half with a barrage of threes led by Sam Manisalco with five in the game. With this win, the Big 10 took control of the Challenge, taking the lead 2-1.

Purdue 76, Miami 65

The Boilermakers were sharing the wealth in this matchup — three Purdue players scored in double-digits — to take down the Canes. With a big deficit looming over Miami, Shane Larkin went to work to bring the Hurricanes to within five points, but Purdue was able to pull away and escape with the win.

Clemson 71, Iowa 55

The Tigers executed their offense with excellent ball movement and patience to keep the Hawkeyes at bay for the entire game. Clemson finished with 20 assists on the night, whereas Iowa could muster only five for the game and committed 10 turnovers.

Ohio State 85, Duke 63

While most expected a dogfight between two power programs in this marquee matchup, it turned out to be a beating for the Blue Devils. Duke kept the game close in the first 10 minutes of the half, but from then it was all Ohio State. While Jared Sullinger played at the superstar level America has come to expect, the supporting cast came up big for the Buckeyes. Aaron Craft scored 17 points, dished out eight assists and embarrassed Miles Plumlee by passing it off his leg to himself for the layup. Deshaun Thomas and William Buford also scored in double digits for Ohio State.

 

Indiana 86, North Carolina State 75

After the Hoosiers maintained the lead for the majority of the first half, the Pack came roaring back in the final minutes. A lay-in from Calvin Leslie off a Lorenzo Brown miss put State up by one at the intermission. A crucial flagrant foul from Scott Wood on a Victor Oladipo one-man fast break would give Wood his fifth foul and a spot on the bench for the rest of the game. Indiana took advantage of State being without a presence from behind the arch and held on to go 7-0 on the season.

Penn State 62, Boston College 54

Throughout the first half, it seemed as if the Eagles would get a much needed win. They were creating turnovers and getting easy attempts in the painted area, but the second half would be a totally different story. Penn State mounted a comeback led by Tim Frazier, who scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half. James Marshall also scored a career-high 22.

Michigan State 65, Florida State 49

The Seminoles continue their disappointing season by struggling to create fluidity on the offensive end and committing 18 turnovers in the game. On the other hand, Michigan State has turned around its season by winning five straight games. The Spartans’ Brandon Wood came up huge with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds as well as five assists.

Minnesota 58, Virginia Tech 55

The game remained close throughout due to both teams showing an astronomical amount of effort to recover every loose ball and rebound. The defining moment came in the final 25 seconds, when Tubby Smith decided against calling a timeout after an Eric Green lay-in gave the Hokies the lead. Julian Welch took the ball down the length of the floor to garner a foul and made both of his free throws to give the Gophers the lead.

Wake Forest 55, Nebraska 53

Wake maintained a single-digit lead for the majority of the first half, but the Huskers would bring it in close at the beginning of the second. With the game tied at 53 with nine seconds left in the game, Wake’s C.J. Harris drove by the Nebraska defenders for the game-winning layup.

 

North Carolina 60, Wisconsin 57

The Challenge concluded with another highlight matchup between two top 10 teams and UNC coming off  an upset loss to UNLV. Even though the Heels committed 14 turnovers, they still found a way to win, led by Harrison Barnes scoring 10 of his 20 points in the second half at the most timely moments of a Wisconsin run. A missed three by Jordan Taylor sealed the Badgers’ fate, as they lost their first game of the season.

So now, it’s time to take notes on what all of this means for each of the conferences:

• The Big 10 is deeper than the ACC. It may compete with the Big East as the deepest in the country.
• Virginia is the third-best team in the conference. N.C. State also has an opportunity to take that title when it takes on Syracuse and Stanford.
• Duke’s youth and inexperience can break its season. Even though Austin Rivers came through with a huge game statistically, he did not play a consistent game, which can be a big problem if Coach K is going to rely on his play-making ability on the offensive end of the court.
• Yes, Ohio State is a real contender
• Northwestern is better than you think. The Wildcats have have a very methodical approach on offense, which can definitely come in handy when its time to play chess in March.
• Michigan State is on its way back to being a serious contender for the Big 10 title. I expect for the Spartans to come up big in conference tournament time.
• Roy Williams needs to take control of the bench and coach this team. This year he has been relying on the talent on the roster to pick up wins instead of great execution. Talent can carry you only so far.

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