Published: 12/31/2018 12:08:14 AM
Modified: 12/31/2018 12:08:16 AM
Evanston, Ill. — Vic Law had 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, Ryan Taylor also scored 21 and Northwestern overcame a sluggish start for a 75-54 victory over Columbia on Sunday.
Dererk Pardon had 12 points and 10 rebounds despite first-half foul trouble for Northwestern, which has won three of four.
The Wildcats (9-4) were just 23-of-55 from the field for the game. Law was 7-for-14 from the field, including 3 of 6 on 3-pointers.
Cornell 61, Navy 50
Ithaca, n.y. — Mike Morgan scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half, including six straight in a key late run, and Cornell defeated Navy.
Steven Julian added nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds for Cornell (6-7).
No. 2 Michigan 74Binghamton 52
Ann Arbor, Mich. — Iggy Brazdeikis scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half, and No. 2 Michigan eventually pulled away for a victory over Binghamton.
The Wolverines (13-0) led just 46-43 before a 19-4 run put the game away. Jordan Poole scored 18 points, and Zavier Simpson had two points, nine rebounds and a career-high 10 assists.
Chancellor Barnard led the Bearcats (4-10) with 14 points. This was the highest-ranked opponent in the history of the Binghamton program.
The Bearcats played a zone defense that all but conceded shots for Michigan from around the free throw line. The Wolverines repeatedly misfired from that area and finished the game 19 of 45 from inside the arc.
But Michigan went 11 of 18 from 3-point range. Poole made a career-high six shots from long distance, and Brazdeikis made all three of his attempts.
Isaiah Livers scored 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting for the Wolverines. Michigan has won 27 of its last 28 games, with the only loss coming in last season’s national title game against Villanova.
BIG PICTURE
Binghamton: The Bearcats’ defensive approach worked decently. Michigan missed enough open midrange shots to keep the game close for a while, and this was a credible performance for Binghamton, on the road as a huge underdog.
Michigan: The Wolverines have not had a weekday game since Dec. 4, and they looked like they were in a bit of a rut. They’ll resume Big Ten play in their next game, and there’s probably not much more they can accomplish by playing teams like Binghamton.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Michigan was only one point ahead of No. 3 Tennessee in the most recent AP Top 25, so it wouldn’t take much for those teams to switch spots.
UP NEXT
Binghamton: The Bearcats return home and host Columbia on Wednesday night.
Michigan: The Wolverines host Penn State on Thursday night.
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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister