WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – If there’s any question about the grit of the University of Wisconsin, flip on the tape from the Greenbrier Resort’s Colonial Ballroom. Fast forward through the poor execution of the first half and watch as the Badgers found another gear to claim another November tournament title.
After showing mild doses of resiliency through the first month of the season, the 19th-ranked Badgers delivered a full helping to kick off feast week, battling back from a double-digit deficit to claim the Greenbrier Tip-Off title with an 81-75 win over Pittsburgh.
John Tonje scored 25 of his game-high 33 points in the second half for Wisconsin (7-0), which erased a 14-point deficit in the first half on a night where its high-powered offense malfunctioned early.
Tonje’s layup with 11:15 remaining gave the Badgers their first lead since the opening possession, and the offense stayed flowing through his hands. Converting on drives to the rim and cleaning up offensive rebounds, Tonje scored 10 of UW’s 18 points in a stretch of the second half to give the Badgers a 71-64 lead with 4:15 to go.
He didn’t do it alone down the stretch. Kamari McGee cleaned up an offensive rebound and restarted the offense, resulting in passes from Steven Crowl to Max Klesmit and back to McGee in the corner for a three-pointer that made it 74-70.
Pressure defense forced on the wing forced an airball and a bobbled loose ball gave the ball back to Wisconsin. That allowed Tonje to execute another one of his drives to the rim, two more points that gave the Badgers a 76-70 lead with 90 seconds left.
Pitt (6-1) couldn’t close the gap to one possession. Despite shooting 53.6 percent in the second half, the Panthers were outscored by 13.
Ishmael Leggett led the Panthers with 17 points. John Blackwell (14), Nolan Winter (11), and McGee (10) reached double figures for the Badgers.
Every strength the Badgers had latched on to through their longest undefeated stretch in a decade unraveled in the first half. UW’s offense lacked the aggressive punch it had shown throughout its six-game win streak, and it didn’t supplement its offense with anything outside the paint.
UW missed all 10 perimeter shots and went 5-for-8 from the foul line, well below its 87.2 percent average.
Tonje helped restart things. Kicking out a pass for a Winter three and receiving a Crowl pass for a dunk on the next trip, Tonje’s hard-charging helped the Badgers average 1.80 points per possession in the second half.
What it means: Wisconsin brought home its third tournament title in four years by beating its third Power-Four school in the last four games, doing so thanks to the hot hand of Tonje.
Star of the game: Tonje was 2-for-8 in the first half and 9-for-11 in the second half, not to mention a perfect 6-for-6 from the line as Pittsburgh couldn’t figure out a way to slow the graduate down.
Stat of the game: After going 11-for-30 from the floor in the first half, Wisconsin shot 18-for-30 (60 percent) in the second half.
Reason to be Concerned: Wisconsin outrebound its first Power-Four conference team, but the Badgers struggled early in attacking the offensive glass and driving to the paint. UW also got beat on back cuts and dribble actions to the paint early on which contributed to the deficit.
Don’t overlook: Wisconsin was starting to make a charge late in the first half when Jack Janicki notched a steal and led a 3-on-1 break. Instead of taking the ball to the hoop, Janicki attempted a three that bounds off the iron. Not only did Pitt get the rebound, but Leggett drilled a deep two on the fast break. Instead of cutting the lead to 29-23, Pitt went back up 10. He responded better in the second half, passing up a three to make the extra pass which led to Tonje scoring.
What’s next: Wisconsin returns home for a Saturday afternoon matchup against Chicago State at the Kohl Center. CSU made headlines last season when it knocked off inter-city rival Northwestern last December but has been unable to replicate that magic so far under first-year coach Scott Spinelli. The Cougars (0-6) have lost their last five games by at least 20 points and have the fourth-worst offensive efficiency rating in the country. This will be the fourth meeting between the programs since 2016, which includes last year’s 80-53 victory in Madison. The tip for Saturday’s game will be at noon and be televised on Peacock.
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