Even at less than full strength, the University of Wisconsin still proved it has the personnel to be dangerous in March.
Led by a career-high 30 points from A.J. Storr and a fourth-consecutive solid defensive effort, the fifth-seeded Badgers erased an early double-digit deficit to beat fourth-seed Northwestern, 70-61, in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals at the Target Center.
Junior Steven Crowl delivered another solid performance in his home state with 19 points and seven rebounds for the Badgers (21-12), who advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals for the first time in five years despite Chucky Hepburn (lower-body rest) being held out of the game.
Without their point guard, Storr was willing to dazzle. The sophomore was 7-for-11 from two, dazzling with his drives to the rim and an alley-oop dunk, and hit three clutch three-pointers in the second half, one putting the breaks on a 7-0 Northwestern run that had tied the game at 38. He added six rebounds and went 7-for-8 from the line.
Crowl even set the screen to help Storr bury a three-pointer from the top of the key, giving UW its biggest lead, 62-52, with 6:57 remaining. Helping the Badgers shoot 56.5 percent in the second half, Storr’s point total tied Rob Wilson (2011) for most by a UW player in Big Ten Tournament history.
Taking over the point guard role for Hepburn, Max Klesmit had 10 points (3-for-11 FG) and seven assists.
As good as the two-man game was of Crowl and Storr, Wisconsin’s success was again boosted by its defense. A day after holding Maryland to .889 points per possession, the Badgers allowed Northwestern (21-11) to just 1.00 ppp.
Consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection Boo Buie scored 29 points, but the Badgers shut down the rest of the Wildcats (21-11). Third-team all-conference pick Brooks Barnhizer had a double-double (13 pts, 14 rbs) but was 3-for-15 from the floor while forward Nick Martinelli was 3-for-10.
Buie was 7-for-11 from three-point range, but his teammates were a combined 1-for-12 from the perimeter. Overall, Northwestern shot 37.7 percent.
Wisconsin dug itself an 11-point deficit before surging ahead with an 18-2 run, a combination of attacking the rim to generate layups and free throws and ball movement leading to open threes. It helped shock Wisconsin’s offense back into rhythm after the Badgers started 1-for-4 from three and 1-for-6 on shots at the rim, averaging .667 points on their first 15 possessions.
UW also did a better job on Buie. Not having to deal with Hepburn’s defense, Buie scored 16 of the Wildcats’ first 21 points on 5-for-7 shooting (4-for-5 3FGs), getting help from his teammates and creating space through screens.
He wasn’t the same the remainder of the half after Tyler Wahl inadvertently crashed into his left knee and the Badgers improved their ball-screen defense. That combination saw Buie go scoreless in the final 12 minutes of the half and the Wildcats missed 13 of their final 15 shot attempts. That drought kept the Wildcats chasing UW for the rest of the afternoon.
What it means: Winning two conference tournament games for the first time since 2017, the Badgers are regaining their swagger defensively and suddenly look like the Final Four contender we thought they could be in late January.
Star of the game: Storr was terrific and won his duel with Buie, especially in the second half when the UW sophomore went 6-for-7 from the field and scored 17 points.
Stat of the game: Wisconsin outscored Northwestern, 28-16, in the paint, and 10-5 on second-chance points.
Reason to be Concerned: Official word from Wisconsin was that Hepburn had been dealing with a lingering lower-body injury and that, while dressed and available, the Badgers preferred to rest him. Klesmit took the point guard reps, while Klesmit, John Blackwell, and Kamari McGee rotated defensively on Buie. Blackwell struggled (1-for-8), but McGee was solid with four points off the bench.
Don’t overlook: Nolan Winter’s progression continues to stand out. The freshman was plus-five in his nine minutes on the floor with two points and four rebounds, something the Badgers will need tomorrow.
What’s next: Wisconsin advances to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the 13th time and first since 2019 and will take on top-seeded Purdue (12 p.m./CBS). The outright regular season champions and defending tournament champs, the Boilermakers (29-3) withstood a late charge from Michigan State to win its quarterfinals matchup, 67-62.
UW lost both meetings against Purdue this season, including a 78-70 road loss on Sunday, but are 2-0 against them in the conference tournament.
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