Quick Hits: Short-Handed Wisconsin Falls to No.14 Michigan State
MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin's first home loss of the season happened when its best player was out with a leg injury. The Badgers' second home loss happened Friday, this time with their second-best player sitting with a boot on his right ankle.
Without junior forward Tyler Wahl, No.8 Wisconsin was cold offensively and porous defensively as the first half dragged on, setting the stage for an 86-74 defeat to No.14 Michigan State at the Kohl Center.
A victory would have moved them into sole position of first place in the Big Ten. Instead, the Badgers (15-3, 6-2 Big Ten) saw their seven-game winning streak end with a thud and watched the Spartans (15-3, 6-1) take the top spot.
Not having Wahl left a huge gap in Wisconsin’s rotation. During UW’s seven-game winning streak, the junior forward was shooting 63.9 percent from the floor and averaging 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Without him on the floor, the Badgers got little production from their No.4 spot.
Sophomore guard Johnny Davis was bothered throughout the night by the length of the Spartans and needed 20 shots to score his game-high 25 points. Brad Davison added 22 points, but the duo didn’t get much help from anybody else. Even with the Badgers shooting 60.7 percent in the second half, UW’s 9-for-33 first half brought its overall percentage down to 42.7 percent from the floor.
Wisconsin jumped out to an 8-0 lead but was outscored 42-18 the remainder of the half. Michigan State shot 52.7 percent for the game, had a 32-24 edge in the paint, and 21-2 on fast-break points.
The Badgers tried to chip away at the start of the second half, scoring 10 points on their first eight possessions, but their ability to stop Michigan State’s dribble penetration constantly thwarted momentum.
But after it felt like the energy had been sucked out of the building, Wisconsin made its move. Trading buckets for most of the half, the Badgers engineered a 7-0 run in just 76 seconds to cut the deficit to six at the halfway mark. But the Spartans recouped those seven points on their next four possessions, and UW scored none. UW never threatened again the final 10 minutes.
What it means: As talented as Wisconsin is, the Badgers have shown they are a shell of themselves when missing a key player. It happened earlier this season against Providence when Davis was out, and it happened Friday without Wahl. There’s still 60 percent of the Big Ten season left for Wisconsin, which includes another game with Michigan State on Feb.8 in East Lansing. The Badgers will likely tumble in the polls on Monday, but they must take solace in the fact they are as good as anybody when they are at full strength.
Star(s) of the game: Michigan State had five players in double figures, three of those being bench players. Malik Hall had a team-high 14 points, including a jumper that stopped UW’s 7-0 second-half run. A.J. Hoggard had 12 points and eight assists while Jaden Akins chipped in with 10. Michigan State's bench outscored Wisconsin's 43-7.
Stat of the game: Having been more aggressive on the boards of late, the Spartans pummeled the Badgers in the post with a 39-20 rebounding edge. The inability to secure rebounds led to MSU having a 21-2 edge in transition points.
No possession encapsulated the advantage more than with 9:05 remaining, a possession where Michigan State grabbed two offensive rebounds, scored a low-post bucket, and made a free throw off a technical foul given to point guard Chucky Hepburn for his second flopping warning.
Turning point: Even with the struggles to put the ball in the net, Davis’s driving layup cut the Michigan State lead to 20-15 with 8:50 remaining. The wheels came off shortly after that with the Spartans going on an 18-6 run over 3:12 to build a 17-point lead.
Don’t overlook: The importance of Wahl to this offense. Wisconsin’s bench was outscored 20-3 in the first half and Ben Carlson – who started in place of Wahl – had no points, one rebound, and a careless turnover in just under eight minutes on the floor. Gard said Tuesday that he’s working on getting Carlson and guard Jahcobi Neath more opportunities as they work back from various injuries but neither took advantage of the big opportunity.
What’s next: Wisconsin is expected to take on Nebraska Tuesday in Lincoln, but that game is in jeopardy with the Huskers having to cancel tomorrow’s game because of COVID concerns in their program. The Huskers (6-13, 0-8) are currently last in the conference and on a six-game losing streak. As of now, the game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. tipoff on the Big Ten Network.
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