WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL SPORTS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017 | B3 COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL | BIG TEN NASCAR From B1

past Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most ever, leaving him alone as NASCAR’s greatest. Outside his motor home, John- son scratched his beard, tinged with a touch of gray, as he con- sidered what an eighth title would mean. Johnson had retreated to Aspen, Colorado, over the winter, where the snow and ski-filled days made him want to grow his beard to roughly ZZ Top length. The King has his feathered cowboy hat. Maybe a wavy beard could become Johnson’s distinguish- able feature. What seemed cool in Aspen made him hot under the helmet at Daytona. “I was really uncomfortable,” he said. “It just hits you the whole time.” Beard aficionado Dale Earn- hardt Jr., who shaved his own for a wedding, openly admired his teammate’s facial hair. “That’s a bad-ass beard,” Junior said. “If I’d known he was going to come so strong, I would have worked on mine a little more. I certainly do envy what Jimmie’s got going on.” Most drivers also envy his re- cord run at NASCAR history. Johnson’s shot at history hit him in 2010 when he won his fifth straight Cup title and talk about CHRIS KNIGHT, ASSOCIATED PRESS chasing eight intensified. He won Purdue’s P.J. Thompson drives to the basket as Penn State’s Payton Banks arrives late during the second half Tuesday. his sixth in 2013, and his surpris- ing seventh last year now makes an eighth championship seem more inevitable than a longshot. Cline spurs Purdue to OT win With 80 career wins and a pair of Daytona 500 victories, the 41-year-old Johnson won’t let the STATE JOURNAL WIRE SERVICES The Nittany Lions owned the “Our guard play and overall ball record define him. Accustomed to dominating in Big Ten paint against Purdue’s towering control, there’s no question, there “No,” he said, “but I’m going to stretches lately, the 14th-ranked Conf All bigs — 6-foot-8 Caleb Swani- were times they were hesitant,” try (to win it), though.” Purdue men’s basketball team gan and the 7-2 Haas — en route Painter said. Long before he fires up the found itself on the other end of Purdue 12-3 23-5 to a 46-12 scoring edge. But the Chevy, Johnson’s championship Illinois 66, Northwestern 50 a big score and needed a savior Wisconsin 11-3 22-5 Nittany Lions couldn’t get deep pursuit begins near dawn with a against a gritty Penn State team shots to fall, finishing 2-for-18 Malcolm Hill scored 18 points run. Johnson long ago traded his on Tuesday night. Maryland 10-4 22-5 from 3-point range. to lead the host Fighting Illini race helmet for a bicycle helmet Enter Ryan Cline. Northwestern 9-6 20-8 “That was as hard as we’ve over the Wildcats in Champaign. during off hours at the track and The guard scored six of his 11 played all year,” Penn State coach The teams played a tight con- put a twist on his Sunday by run- points in overtime to lift Purdue Minnesota 8-6 20-7 Patrick Chambers said. “Proud test in which the deficit didn’t ning the occasional marathon be- to a 74-70 victory over the host Michigan State 8-6 16-11 of my team. However, there’s no grow larger than four points for fore a race. Nittany Lions in State College in more moral victories here. We’ve much of the game. But North- At Daytona, he biked 42 miles a Big Ten Conference game the Michigan 7-7 17-10 got to get some things done. western suffered an 8-minute on Sunday morning hours before Boilermakers led for just 9:16. Iowa 7-8 15-13 We’ve got to close out games.” scoring drought in the last 10 he pulled double duty and raced “It rarely happens where a Penn State led for all but 7:35 of minutes and Illinois built its lead in the Clash at Daytona and quali- team outplays another one, plays Nebraska 6-8 12-14 regulation and by as many as 10 to double digits for the first time. fied for the 500. Johnson’s days of harder and they lose the game — Illinois 6-9 16-12 points midway through the first Bryant McIntosh led the way scarfing hushpuppies and sipping especially on their home court,” half. But it surrendered the lead for Northwestern with 16 points. sweet tea out by a roadside bar- Purdue coach Matt Painter said. Penn State 6-9 14-14 on a dunk by Haas with 10:13 left. becue stand are long behind him. Iowa 96, Indiana 90 (OT) “Thank the Lord Cline knocked Indiana 5-10 15-13 The Nittany Lions used a 10-2 run He’s still an adrenaline junkie in those two shots down.” and four straight baskets from Peter Jok had 35 points as the the offseason, though his fastest Cline’s consecutive 3-pointers Ohio State 5-10 15-13 Carr to send the game to over- host Hawkeyes rallied from 13 turns in the winter now come secured his team’s sixth straight Rutgers 2-13 13-15 time. down to beat the Hoosiers in Iowa navigating the snowcapped slopes win and snapped the Nittany Li- Painter wasn’t happy with his City and snap a three-game skid. in Colorado. ons’ four-game winning streak for the Boilermakers, who trailed guard play for much of the game. Jok made a program record 22 With a wife, two daughters against Top 25 teams visiting the 33-29 at halftime. He sensed confusion from his free throws as Iowa made 39 foul and enough race trophies to stuff Bryce Jordan Center. Tony Carr scored 21 points, La- backcourt and it cost the Boiler- shots to Indiana’s 16. a storage unit, the fitness freak Vincent Edwards added 14 mar Stevens added 18 and Mike makers in the form of turnovers. Robert Johnson scored 19 has never been happier. Johnson points, Isaac Haas chipped in 13 Watkins finished with 11 points Ten of Purdue’s 17 giveaways were points with seven assists for In- has even won over fans who had and Dakota Mathias scored 12 and 12 rebounds for Penn State. committed by guards. diana, which lost its fifth straight. grown tired of the 48 dynasty built with team owner Rick Hen- drick and crew chief Chad Knaus. Before the championship race at COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL Homestead-Miami, Johnson was greeted by fans holding up seven fingers, not the one-finger salute Hauser, Heldt lead Marquette over St. John’s he’d grown accustomed to receiv- ing. “I get the respect from be- STATE JOURNAL WIRE SERVICES ers en route to scoring 22 points ond-seeded UW-Oshkosh on Texas, to halt a two-game slide. ing around a long time, now,” he Sam Hauser tied a career best as the Phoenix (17-11, 11-5 Hori- Thursday in the semifinals. said. “I think the age kind of does No. 11 Kentucky 72, Missouri 62 with 19 points, Matt Heldt had zon League) beat the host Flames something.” UW-La Crosse 76, his first collegiate double-dou- (14-15, 7-9). Edrice Adebayo had 22 points NASCAR fans are coming UW-Eau Claire 66 ble and the host Marquette men’s and 15 rebounds as the Wildcats around to what the drivers have Valparaiso 67, UW-Milwaukee 61 basketball team rolled to a 93-71 Ben Meinholz scored 24 points (23-5, 13-2 SEC) beat the host known for years — Johnson is an win over St. John’s on Tuesday Brock Stull made a career-high and Zach Schradle had 21 points Tigers (7-20, 2-13) in Columbia. easy guy to root for. night in Milwaukee. six 3-pointers and had 22 points and eight rebounds as the fifth- “I don’t know anyone who No. 13 Florida 81, Heldt had 15 points and 10 re- to lead the Panthers (8-21, 4-12 seeded Eagles (13-12) beat the doesn’t like Jimmie,” 2010 South Carolina 66 bounds — both career highs — for Horizon) in a loss to the host host and fourth-seeded Blugolds Daytona 500 champion Jamie Marquette (17-10, 8-7 Big East Crusaders (23-6, 13-2) in Indiana. in the WIAC tournament. KeVaughn Allen had 26 points McMurray said. “I feel like he’s the Conference). Andrew Rowsey La Crosse plays at top-seeded to lead the host Gators (23-5, 13-2 guy that you would like not to like UW-Whitewater 78, UW-Stout 69 scored 18 with six assists, Katin UW-River Falls on Thursday. SEC) over the Gamecocks (20-8, because he does win all the time. Reinhardt added 16 points and Demetrius Woodley scored 24 10-5) in Gainesville. He’s got a beautiful wife. He’s got Jajuan Johnson scored 11. points and Scotty Tyler added 17 TOP 25 great-looking kids. He just kind of No. 25 Wichita State 109, Bashir Ahmed had 21 points for to lead the host and third-seeded like has everything. But he’s just No. 9 Baylor 60, Oklahoma 54 Evansville 83 St. John’s (12-16, 6-9). Warhawks (21-5) past the sixth- always so nice.” seeded Blue Devils (13-13) in the Johnathan Motley had 21 points Shaq Morris scored 18 points Life as a stay-at-home dad will UW-Green Bay 87, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Ath- with 16 rebounds and the host to spark the host Shockers (26-4, be confined to the winter for now. Illinois-Chicago 79 letic Conference tournament. Bears (23-5, 10-5 Big 12) beat the 16-1 Missouri Valley) past the While Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon Warren Jones hit five 3-point- Whitewater will play at sec- Sooners (9-18, 3-12) in Waco, Aces (14-16, 5-12) in Kansas. and Carl Edwards have called it quits the past two years, John- son said he’s not even thinking of retirement. He loves racing too her redshirt season as she strug- bench in seven of her first eight much. Young gled to adjust to a new environ- games upon returning, Young “When it feels like work some- From B1 ment and was frustrated by not has started the past five games day, I’ll stop,” he said. “It hasn’t being able to play for a season. and averaged 14 points and 9.4 been there yet.” and foot injuries. But she made it through that rebounds over that span. Certainly not when he’s coming For Young, the winding down season and quickly established And with Young, her contri- off a bit of a surprise title. of her college career is a measure herself as a valuable contributor, butions can only be partially Johnson was practically gifted of perseverance, as she’s made starting all but one game last sea- measured with stats. Even more his seventh title when Edwards’ it to the end of the road despite son and averaging 7.7 points and significant is the toughness and aggressive attempt to win the some bumps along the way. 6.3 rebounds. energy she provides with her re- championship ended in a wreck. “It’s definitely been a journey This year those numbers have lentless effort. If anything she’s Johnson got the restart of his life but it’s a journey I wouldn’t trade been boosted to 11.0 points and guilty of trying too hard at times, in overtime, took the lead on the for the world,” Young said. “I 7.1 rebounds. But it has not been such as early in Saturday’s game very last lap, won for the first definitely have gotten an educa- all smooth going, as she was sus- against Rutgers when she com- time in his career at Homestead tion. I’ve learned a lot of things on pended by new coach Jonathan mitted six turnovers in the first and grabbed the final Sprint Cup the court, educationally and life- Tsipis following a disappointing half. But she made up for that in trophy. Snoop Dogg played his wise. I’m just blessed to be able loss to Idaho State for a violation the second half, scoring 12 of her championship party. to make this journey. I didn’t pre- of team rules. She missed four team-high 14 points and hitting Johnson won all his titles in the dict it to be like this but I wouldn’t games before being reinstated UW ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS six straight free throws in the Chase era and goes for eight under change it.” after the Big Ten opener. fourth quarter as the Badgers a rules revamp that divided races Young, an All-State player “I think watching her grow, Senior Avyanna Young is finishing pulled away to a 53-41 victory. into segments — and every point at Milwaukee King, started her knowing some things that hap- her season strong, averaging 13.3 “She wants things so badly,” counts. Who knows? The format college career at UW-Milwau- pened in December, from a team points over her past six games. Tsipis said. “That’s the part of could be just the jolt needed for kee. After a breakout sophomore standpoint and a culture stand- leaving her legacy. She has done him to win five straight champi- season in which she averaged point were not what we wanted, had the chance to coach, you just that, not just in the games but in onships for a second time. 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds, she you hope somebody can learn hope that they’re playing with practice, putting what our team “If I did it before, I guess it decided to test herself against a from that,” Tsipis said. “That was that sense of urgency and hope- needs from her ahead of every- is possible,” Johnson said. “It’s higher level of competition. the biggest part of the reinstate- fully playing their best basketball thing else. That’s what you hope probably not probable. But it’s But she almost never got to ment, still trying to figure that of their career.” a senior does from a maturity certainly possible.”

00 wear a Badgers uniform. She left part out when she came back. That’s been the case with standpoint at the end of their Just keep some fingers free to 1 the team for a short time early in “As with any senior I’ve ever Young. After coming off the career.” count more championships.