Quick Hits: Badgers tame Wolverines in 77-63 victory

MADISON, WIS. -- Wisconsin celebrated Michael Finley's jersey retirement in fine fashion on Sunday inside the Kohl Center, utilizing a second-half surge to pull away with a 77-63 victory over Michigan.

Guard Johnny Davis shined in front of the Wisconsin (21-5 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) faithful, scoring a game-high 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting while pulling down six rebounds. The sophomore sensation accumulated 17 points in the second half, including 11 during a pivotal Badgers stretch that extended their advantage by as much as 15 with under nine minutes to play.

Michigan (14-11, 8-7) shot only 39.1% from the field on Sunday, and it connected on just 4-of-25 three-pointers (16%) on the road. Big man Hunter Dickinson finished with a team-high 21 points while also recording five rebounds.

Wisconsin made 29-of-58 shots (50%) overall in the game, though it still was cold from three-point range (4-of-13). Five Badgers scored in double figures on the afternoon -- Steven Crowl (11) and Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn and Brad Davison (10 each from the latter trio).

Senior guard Eli Brooks contributed 14 points of 6-of-10 shooting for the Wolverines. Guard DeVante' Jones (11 points on 4-of-13 shooting) was the only other player for Michigan in double figures. Former five-star signees Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan combined for a mere nine points -- converting on three of 13 field goal attempts.

UW outscored Michigan 46-32 in the final 20 minutes. After trailing 38-33 to start the second half, Wisconsin reeled off a 23-3 run over a 9:32 stretch. Davison and Crowl contributed 10 and 9 points in this final period for the Badgers, and the team altogether connected on 4-of-7 three-pointers.

Dickinson only scored six points in the final 20 minutes for Michigan.

Wisconsin and Michigan went to the locker room tied 31-31. Both team shot poorly from three-point range, a combined 1-16 from beyond the arc. The Badgers did not hit from deep on six attempts.

Davis and Hepburn led the way with a combined 15 points. Dickinson tallied 15 points on his own in the first 20 minutes on 6-of-10 shooting. Michigan out-rebounded Wisconsin by a 23-13 margin in this frame, including grabbing eight on the offensive boards. That led to six second-chance points for the Wolverines before interrmission.

What it means: Wisconsin now sits tied for first with Purdue and Illinois at 12-4 overall. As of time of publishing, the Badgers rank No. 25 in KenPom standings and No. 21 in the NCAA NET rankings.

Star of the game: Johnny "Takeover" Davis. What more can you say about the second-year player out of La Crosse who stood out on day honoring a Badger legend who was in the house. His defense, scoring in multiple ways helped propel UW to its 21st win of the season.

Stat of the game: Davis scored 17 points in the second half on 7-of-10 shooting and made all three free throws. He also contributed three rebounds.

Turning point: Wisconsin's 23-3 run in about a nine-and-a-half minutes stretch in the second half. The Badgers never saw its lead shrinking to single digits thereafter.

Don’t overlook ... The contributions of Wisconsin's Jahcobi Neath and Chris Vogt. The bench production for scoring has not been there consistently for the Badgers this season, but the two transfers combined for 10 points. Though Ben Carlson did not score a point, he tied for a team-high six rebounds.

Also not to overlook? The postgame skirmish between the programs and what repercussions come afterwards.

What’s next: Wisconsin travels across state borders for a Wednesday night showdown against Minnesota. The Gophers have lost 11 of their last 14 games, including a 66-60 loss to the Badgers inside the Kohl Center on Jan. 30.

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