Big Ten Tournament 2017: Round 2 Scores, Updated Bracket, Quarterfinals Schedule

The second round of the Big Ten tournament takes place at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, as a number of teams look to bolster their resumes and ultimately earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Below, we'll break down the day's results.      

Team	Score	Team
No. 8 Michigan	75-55	No. 9 Illinois
No. 5 Michigan State	78-51	No. 13 Penn State
No. 7 Iowa	73-95	No. 10 Indiana
No. 6 Northwestern	83-61	No. 14 Rutgers

Game	Matchup	Time (ET)	Watch
1	No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 8 Michigan	12 p.m.	ESPN
2	No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Michigan State	25 min. after game 1	ESPN
3	No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 10 Indiana	6:30 p.m.	BTN
4	No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 6 Northwestern	25 min. after game 3	BTN

Michigan State Beats Penn State, 78-51

The Michigan State Spartans (19-13) continued to improve their resume in an effort to reach the NCAA tournament, beating Penn State on Thursday, 78-51.

Miles Bridges (15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks) and Nick Ward (15 points, nine rebounds, two blocks) led the way for the Spartans, who ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has projected to be a No. 10 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. 

Given Tom Izzo's well-earned reputation for taking Michigan State on long postseason runs, few teams will be excited about seeing the Spartans come tournament time. 

Lamar Stevens and Tony Carr each scored 16 points for the Nittany Lions, who likely saw their season come to a close Thursday.

Michigan Beats Illinois, 75-55

The Michigan Wolverines overcame a minor plane crash Wednesday and a morning flight Thursday to easily beat Illinois, 75-55.

The Wolverines (21-11), wearing practice jerseys since their regular uniforms didn't make the trip following the accident, never trailed in the game. Derrick Walton Jr. (19 points, five assists) led the way with contributions from Zak Irvin (18 points, seven rebounds) and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (17 points, three steals).

Tracey Abrams (23 points, five rebounds) was the lone bright spot for Illinois and the only player to finish with double-digit points for the Illini.

The win for the Wolverines bolstered their resume enough to make them a virtual lock to play in the NCAA tournament. Illinois (18-14), however, came into the contest barely on the bubble and likely saw its tournament hopes dashed with the loss.

Indiana Beats Iowa, 95-73

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A hot shooting night propelled the Indiana Hoosiers to an easy 95-73 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday. 

Indiana (18-14) made 60.3 percent of its shots, including 60 percent from beyond the arc. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Hoosiers scored the second-most points in Big Ten tournament history.

James Blackmon Jr. led the team with 23 points and eight rebounds, while De'Ron Davis came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points.

Foul shooting played a big role in Iowa's 96-90 victory over Indiana in February. The Hawkeyes (18-14) attempted 47 free throws in that game, making 39. On Thursday, they only had 10 attempts, sinking six.

The defeat will almost certainly eliminate Iowa from NCAA tournament consideration, while the Hoosiers' slim hopes of earning a berth to the Big Dance hinge on them at the very least reaching the final of the conference tourney.

Northwestern Beats Rutgers, 83-61

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Four starters scored in double figures for the Northwestern Wildcats (22-10) en route to an 83-61 win against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (15-18).

Rutgers led 9-6 early in the first half before Northwestern went on a 31-0 scoring run and never looked back. The Ringer's Rodger Sherman argued the Wildcats' outburst deserved a different moniker:

Vic Law and Scottie Lindsey were Northwestern's leading scorers (16 points apiece). Derek Pardon (13 points, eight rebounds) had a nice night as well.

The Wildcats bullied the Scarlet Knights on the board, building a 33-19 rebounding edge, highlighting how Northwestern dominated the game inside.

Northwestern is a lock for the NCAA tournament, and the team could climb a seed or two should it make a deep run in the nation's capital.