The University of Wisconsin had to wait until its ninth game on December 6 to register a victory over a ranked opponent. The Badgers didn’t have to wait nearly as long this season to pad their resume.
A challenging nonconference schedule finally yielded a positive result, as Wisconsin put together its most complete performance of the season in a 65-41 victory over No.24 Virginia in the Fort Myers Tip-Off semifinals at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
Steven Crowl delivered a double-double (15 pts, 10 rbds), and four others scored at least seven points for Wisconsin (3-2), which advances to Wednesday’s championship game against SMU (7:30 p.m./FS1). The Mustangs knocked off West Virginia, 70-58, in the second semifinal.
November tournaments have been fruitful for Wisconsin, which improved to 29-13 (.690) in holiday tournaments since 2005. That mark includes five tournament titles in the last 17 years. UW is in position for a sixth championship because it finally got things to click defensively from the start and saw its offense take over in the second half.
Holding Virginia (4-1) to as many field goals as turnovers (five), Wisconsin held the Cavs to 23.8 percent shooting, only allowing two three-point field goals and one basket in the paint. The Badgers didn’t light up the scoreboard, only 30.3 percent, but led by 10 at halftime by exploiting their size advantage to register eight second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds.
Virginia entered the day ranked 11th nationally in kenpom’s adjusted defensive rankings. The Badgers shredded the Cavaliers in the second half, making 12 of their first 15 shots (75.0 percent). Leading by as many as 21 points, UW averaged 1.423 points per possession in the final 20 minutes and scored on 16 of its 26 possessions.
The Cavs got as close as five in the second half with 12:54 remaining, but UW responded with an 11-0 run that effectively ended the game.
What it means: Wisconsin missed its first two chances to register a Quad-1 victory but didn’t let a third slip away. Aggressive defensively from the beginning helped UW weather some spotty shooting until it caught fire offensively to start the second half.
Star of the game: Crowl was a force for UW but Max Klesmit turned in a solid effort with nine points, three rebounds and minimized the fouls (one).
Stat of the game: Wisconsin corralled 20 offensive rebounds, leading to the Badgers taking 16 more shots than Virginia. UW outscored Virginia, 12-5, on second-chance points.
Reason to be Concerned: Connor Essegian was limited to two points in four minutes, as the sophomore continues to be limited since suffering his upper-body injury in the opener.
Don’t overlook: Carter Gilmore isn’t known for feats of wild athleticism, but the forward provided one midway through the second half when he delivered a one-handed slam off an offensive rebound. That tip-slam put the Badgers up, 44-35, with 11:41 remaining.
What’s next: Wisconsin and SMU have had seven all-time meetings dating back to 1955. The Badgers lead the all-time series, 4-3, including a 1-0 advantage for games played at a neutral site (Milwaukee, Wis. in 1973). SMU won the most recent meeting, 66-64, on the road in Madison in 1991.
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