Quick Hits: No.14 Wisconsin Wins Wire-to-Wire at No.17 Michigan State
The University of Wisconsin ended a 15-year drought at the Breslin Center a year ago, a triumph mostly enjoyed by cardboard cutouts on Christmas Day. With the raucous students back in the building, the Badgers delivered another triumphant road performance.
National Player of the Year Candidate Johnny Davis scored a game-high 25 points as No.14 Wisconsin earned its eighth Quad 1 victory with a 70-62 decision over No.17 Michigan State at the Breslin Center Tuesday.
Freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn contributed 11 points, three assists, and no turnovers while forward Tyler Wahl also scored 11 for Wisconsin (19-4, 10-3 Big Ten), which never trailed to win consecutive games at Michigan State for the first time since 2002-04.
Marcus Bingham Jr. had 15 points for the Spartans (17-6, 8-4), which started cold by missing 12 of their first 14 shots and never recovered.
Shooting 54.2 percent in the second half, and 47.2 percent for the game, Wisconsin was only outrebounded by one (33-32), was even in points in the paint (28) and forced 12 turnovers, five coming early that allowed them to build a 16-8 lead. UW’s perimeter game remained absent for most of the half, but the Badgers fed the ball into the post and were rewarded with 16 of their first 18 points scored in the paint.
After missing its first seven 3-point attempts, UW made three of its last four and went into halftime with a 29-23 lead. The Spartans had 11 points from Bingham Jr., but the rest of the lineup went 4-for-17 from the floor in the MSU’s lowest-scoring half at home this season. Malik Hall (12) was the only other Michigan State player to finish in double figures.
UW led by as many as 10 in the early minutes of the second half, but the Spartans closed to within one with 9:06 remaining. Davis scored UW’s next seven points, including five off second-chance opportunities to keep Michigan State at an arm’s length.
Davis had some key help, however. Ice cold from the perimeter for the last three games, Brad Davison hit a 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining (just his third in three games) that started a run that had the Badgers score nine points from four different players in five possessions.
Davis scored the last two of that stretch, capping a 6-0 run that put the Badgers up 61-51 with 1:46 remaining. UW was 7-for-14 entering the final 88 seconds, but the Badgers were 7-for-8 from the line to ice the game.
What it means: One of four teams that entered the night one loss behind first-place Illinois, Wisconsin delivered another dazzling road performance. How rare is it for Wisconsin to win at Purdue and Michigan State in the same season? The Badgers haven’t accomplished that feat since 1963. UW was a combined 33-123 in true road games against those opponents entering this season. UW knocked off No.3 Purdue, 74-69, on Jan.3.
Star of the game: Davis was held to a season-low four points on 2-for-13 shooting in Saturday’s too-close-for-comfort win over Penn State. He had seven points in the first half but dropped 18 in the second half, 13 in the final 8:26. He was an efficient 8-for-11 from the field, 7-for-8 from the line, had a team-high six rebounds to go along with three assists, two steals, and one turnover.
Stat of the game: Michigan State had 21 points in transition in the Spartans’ 86-74 triumph in Madison on Jan.21. With Wahl on the floor for this meeting, the Badgers were more disciplined with their defensive principles and their tempo. The result was the Spartans scoring only eight points in transition, one less than the Badgers.
Turning point: Despite Davis carrying the offense, it was the supporting cast that put the game away. Hepburn hit a contested jumper to put the Badgers up six and Wahl’s hook shot on the following position put the Badgers up eight with 2:31 remaining. The Spartans could not get closer than seven the rest of the game.
Don’t overlook: The impact of Wahl on both ends of the floor. The junior was 5-for-10, active in the low post on both ends of the floor to finish with five rebounds, and added a block and steal defensively. When he was on the floor, the Badgers outscored Michigan State by 16 points.
What’s next: Wisconsin continues its road-home schedule when the Badgers host Rutgers at the Kohl Center Saturday. The Scarlet Knights have beaten No.1 Purdue and No.13 Michigan State in Piscataway but are just 2-7 on the road. Rutgers hosts Ohio State Wednesday before heading to Madison for the first of two regular-season meetings (Feb.26 in New Jersey). Tip time will be at 1 p.m. on FS1.
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