Friday Sports – Wolverines and Spartans pick up close wins ahead of Sunday Showdown

Posted By: Staff
March 6, 2026 @ 6:20 am
Local News

NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
(3) Michigan 71, Iowa 68
(8) Michigan State 91, Rutgers 87

Michigan 71, Iowa 68 – No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68
Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as No. 3 Michigan defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night. The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds. Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Big Ten regular-season champion Wolverines. Bennett Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points, and Cam Manyawu added 14.

MSU 91, Rutgers 87 – No. 8 Michigan State beats Rutgers 91-87 before closing regular season at No. 3 Michigan
Jeremy Fears had 21 points and eight assists and Coen Carr also scored 21, helping No. 8 Michigan State hold off Rutgers 91-87. The Spartans will close the regular season on the road against rival and third-ranked Michigan on Sunday. Michigan State has won five straight games to secure a top-four seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and a double-bye into the quarterfinals. Rutgers’ Tariq Francis scored 25 points, Lino Mark had 14 and Emmanuel Ogbole added 13. Michigan State trailed by a point at halftime and took control with an 11-0 run.

Tonight
Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan, 6:30 p.m.
Western Michigan at Kent State, 7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan at Ball State, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday
Notre Dame at Boston College, 12:00 p.m.

Sunday
(8) Michigan State at (3) Michigan, 4:30 p.m.
News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 4:00p Cosy Classic Hits 103.7 3:30p

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
San Antonio Spurs 121, Detroit Pistons 106
Chicago Bulls 105, Phoenix Suns 103

Spurs 121, Pistons 106 – Wembanyama has 38 points and 16 rebounds in the Spurs’ 121-106 win over the Pistons
Victor Wembanyama had 38 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks and the San Antonio Spurs never trailed in completing a sweep of Detroit, beating the Pistons 121-106 on Thursday night. De’Aaron Fox had 29 points, and Stephon Castle added 11 points and 12 assists in San Antonio’s first game at home after a nearly a month-long trip. Cade Cunningham had 26 points and Isaiah Stewart added 18 points in Detroit’s second straight loss. The Pistons closed their trip 1-2 and remained atop the Eastern Conference at 45-16. San Antonio has won 13 of 14 games, including a 114-103 victory over the Pistons on Feb. 23 in Detroit, and remain second in the West at 45-17.

Bulls 105, Suns 103 – Bulls hold off the Suns 105-103 for their 2nd win in 3 games after an 11-game skid
Collin Sexton scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls held off the Phoenix Suns 105-103 for their second victory in three games following an 11-game losing streak. Down 12 with under six minutes left, Phoenix pulled to 104-103 on Devin Booker’s 3-pointer with 23 seconds left. Jalen Green had a chance to give the Suns’ their first lead, but missed a running layup, with Phoenix’s Amir Coffey fouling Nick Richards with 4.1 seconds to go. Richards made the first free throw and missed the second, with a scramble for the rebound running out the clock. Booker led Phoenix with 27 points in his second game after missing four because of a right hip injury. Seventh in the West, Phoenix had won two straight.

Tonight
Indiana at LA Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

Saturday
Brooklyn at Detroit, 6:00 p.m.

Sunday
Detroit at Miami, 6:00 p.m.
Indiana at Portland, 9:00 p.m.
Chicago at Sacrament, 9:00 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Florida Panthers at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday
Chicago Blackhawks at Dallas Stars, 6:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils, 7:00 p.m.

NHL – Rebuilding Blackhawks add more picks in another sale ahead of the trade deadline
The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are sellers at the NHL trade deadline once again. Defenseman Connor Murphy was traded to Edmonton on Monday, and forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach were shipped to the Oilers on Wednesday. Captain Nick Foligno and speedy forward Ilya Mikheyev also could be on the move before Friday’s deadline. The 38-year-old Foligno is in his third season with Chicago, and the 31-year-old Mikheyev is in his second year with the team. Chicago has made just one postseason appearance since 2017, and that was the expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NFL – Bills are getting receiver D.J. Moore in a trade with the Bears, AP sources say
The Buffalo Bills have brought in a familiar face for rookie coach Joe Brady and a top target for quarterback Josh Allen, agreeing with the Chicago Bears to acquire D.J. Moore in a trade. That’s according to two people with knowledge of the trade who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal cannot become official until the start of the new league year. They say Buffalo is swapping Chicago a second-round pick for a fifth-rounder in this year’s draft to get Moore. Brady coached Moore as offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and ’21.

NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Illinois 71, (18) Michigan State 69 Big Ten Tournament, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indy
Notre Dame 69, Miami 54 ACC Tournament, Gas South Arena, Duluth, GA

Tonight
Oregon vs. (8) Michigan, 9:00 p.m. Big Ten Tournament, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indy

MLB – Spring Training
Yesterday
Chicago Cubs 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 4
Cleveland Guardians 12, Chicago White Sox 3
White Sox Were off

Today
Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
Chicago Whie Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks, 3:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres, 8:10 p.m.

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Grand Rapids Griffins at Cleveland Monsters, 7:00 p.m.

ECHL – ECHL Hockey League
Tonight
Jacksonville Icemen at Kalamazoo Wings, 7:00 p.m.
Cincinnati Cyclones at Toledo Walleye, 7:15 p.m.

MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Last Night
Boys Basketball (Regional Finals)
Division 1 at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
East Lansing 68, Kalamazoo Central 39

Division 2 at Otsego
Hudsonville Unity Christian 61, Holland Christian 47

Division 3 at Bangor
Schoolcraft 62, Brandywine 50

Division 4 at Marcellus
Colon 49, Battle Creek St. Philip 40

Tonight
Girls Basketball (District Finals)
Division 1 at Portage Central
Kalamazoo Central vs. Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.

Division 1 at Battle Creek Central
Sturgis vs. Coldwater, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Niles
Berrien Springs vs. Niles, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Hamilton
Otsego vs. Hopkins, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Plainwell
Plainwell vs. Three Rivers, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Watervliet
Gobles vs. Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Cassopolis
Brandywine vs. Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Saugatuck
Saugatuck vs. Calvin Christian, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Kalamazoo Hackett
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Lawton, 7:00 p.m.