MADISON, Wis. – For all the excitement the University of Wisconsin has generated with its offensive firepower, the program bedrock of the Badgers is still delivering fundamentally sound defense. That pillar remained sturdy and true Tuesday night.
On a night where its offense could best be described as choppy, No.24 Wisconsin nearly blew a 17-point lead but leaned on its defense and its playmakers in a 70-68 victory over Ohio State at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin was held to its lowest point total since losing the conference opener to Michigan, but the Badgers (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) held Ohio State – the third-best perimeter shooting team in the league – to 5-for-17. More importantly, UW delivered its own big moments to win its sixth straight win and move into a tie for fifth place in the league.
UW only trailed for 47 seconds on a night when head coach Greg Gard picked up his 200th career win. He barely had enough energy to crack a smile when it was announced on the public address after the game, which wasn’t decided until Ohio State’s Devin Royal turned the ball over on the inbounds pass and Carter Gilmore killed off the final 0.5 seconds with a heave to the backcourt.
Ohio State junior Bruce Thornton scored 19 of his game-high 21 after halftime for the Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4), which used a 24-9 run to cut the deficit to 48-44 with 10:18 remaining.
Almost, in turn, UW’s veterans responded with big moments.
John Blackwell answered Thornton by driving the lane, head-faking two defenders, and finishing through Ques Glover’s contact for just UW’s fifth field goal in the opening 10:08 of the second half. He finished with 15 points.
Steven Crowl took advantage of his mismatch against Sean Stewart by spinning the sophomore forward and finishing with a left-handed hookshot, pushing the lead to 57-51. The graduate forward had 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Leading the team with 17 points, John Tonje went 6-for-6 from the foul line in the final 5:26 and hit a rhythm corner three to push the lead to 65-57 with 4:17 remaining.
Both offenses struggled to generate rhythm in a tightly officiated first half, but Wisconsin maximized its runs at the end of each half. The Badgers strung together an 11-0 stretch after the Buckeyes made the game’s opening basket.
Ohio State cut the lead to nine and was primed to inch closer when Micah Parrish went up for a potential dunk. Gilmore caught him from behind and blocked the shot, starting UW on its break that led to two Tonje free throws. UW closed the half with an 8-0 run.
After missing Friday's game with an ankle injury, Max Klesmit returned to the starting lineup and finished with four points in nearly 30 minutes.
What it means: After dropping its first two conference games in suspect defense, Wisconsin has started to flash on that end of the court and has picked up its offense in some timely moments.
Star of the game: Tonje only made three field goals, but they were some of the game's most critical ones. He delivered two rim-rocking dunks that injected some life into a muted building. His three-pointer pushed the lead to three possessions with 4:17 remaining.
Stat of the game: Neither team lit it up offensively (Wisconsin was 11-for-25 and Ohio State was 9-for-28) but the Badgers drew 12 fouls and punished the Buckeyes at the foul line. Leading by 17 at the break, Wisconsin was 13 for 14 (92.9 percent) from the free-throw line while Ohio State was 1 for 1. UW finished 25-for-28 from the line while Ohio State went 13-for-15.
Reason to be Concerned: Wisconsin lost its killer instinct coming out of the locker room. Instead of running away from a struggling Ohio State team, the Badgers allowed the Buckeyes to hit their first two shots and start to build their offense.
Don’t overlook: Blackwell answered Ohio State’s first bucket by scoring the next nine points via a combination of free throws, paint fadeaways, and a perimeter shot.
What’s next: Wisconsin is making its first trip to Los Angeles for a Big Ten conference meeting with USC on Saturday afternoon. The Trojans (11-6, 3-3) are still forming their identity under first-year coach Eric Musselman, ranking 87th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 63rd in adjusted defensive efficiency. However, they've won consecutive games at No.13 Illinois and against Iowa. Junior guard Desmond Claude scored 31 points against the Illini on a night where he went 0-for-2 from three and led USC with 25 against the Hawkeyes.
This will be the fifth meeting between Wisconsin and USC. The Badgers won the most recent meeting in the third-place game of the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis. The tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and will be television on the Big Ten Network.
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