No. 1 and done
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The weight of being No. 1 for the first time wasn't what buried Wisconsin.
It was Michigan State, particularly Drew Neitzel.
Neitzel scored 28 points as the Spartans upset the top-ranked Badgers 64-55 on Tuesday night, in a rough and rowdy Big Ten game.
"We've had TV crews following us and stories being done for the past month," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "Michigan State played better. They were the better team tonight."
Wisconsin's first stint at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 might be a short one, but the Badgers (26-3, 12-2) have a huge opportunity to bounce back Sunday when they travel to No. 2 Ohio State for a showdown with conference championship and NCAA tournament top-seed implications. The Buckeyes, who host Penn State today, lead the Badgers by a half-game in the conference standings.
Neitzel hit several key shots in the second half to give Michigan State its first win over a top-ranked team since the Spartans defeated Indiana State in the 1979 national championship game.
The win also boosts the postseason hopes of the Spartans (20-8, 7-6 Big Ten), who are trying to make the trip to the NCAA tournament for the 10th straight season. They have the longest streak in the Big Ten and fifth-longest in the nation behind Arizona (22), Kansas (17), Kentucky (15) and Duke (11).
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo soaked up the celebration afterward, counting it as one of the best wins he has enjoyed on the Spartans' home court.
"It's one of those memory makers, and that's what life is all about," Izzo said.
UNLV 60, No. 14 Air Force 50At Las Vegas, Kevin Kruger had 14 points and a career-high 10 assists to help UNLV beat Air Force.Kruger went 2-for-11 from the field, but 9-for-9 from the line. Joel Anthony added 10 points and nine rebounds for UNLV (23-6, 10-4 Mountain West), which won its 13th straight home game.
No. 19 Texas 80, Texas Tech 51At Austin, Texas, A.J. Abrams scored 18 points and Texas stayed in the thick of the Big 12 race with a win over Texas Tech.Kevin Durant added 17 points for the Longhorns (20-7, 10-3), who had all five starters score in double figures, but didn't have a 20-point scorer for the first time this season.
Providence 64, No. 22 West Virginia 61At Providence, R.I., Weyinmi Efejuku had 24 points with seven rebounds and Providence took advantage of West Virginia's 32 missed 3-point attempts.Jonathan Kale added nine points and nine rebounds for Providence (17-9, 7-6 Big East), which improved to 16-2 at home and 3-3 against ranked teams as it tries to move off the NCAA tournament bubble.Darris Nichols and Frank Young scored 14 apiece for West Virginia (20-7, 8-6), which is still looking for a road win against a quality opponent.
