Quick Hits: Wisconsin Wins A Barn Burner, Earns 68-67 Win at Minnesota

It was another barn burner for the University of Wisconsin, the kind of game the Badgers have closed out with such reliable over the course of the 2021-22 season. This one might have been a little more satisfying considering they accomplished it without All-American Johnny Davis on the floor.

With Davis on the bench for the final 2:35 after fouling out, No.13 Wisconsin closed the door with points on its next three offensive possessions to register a 68-67 victory over Minnesota at Williams Arena Wednesday.

Minnesotans Steven Crowl (20) and Tyler Wahl (12) were the major catalysts for the Badgers (22-5, 13-4 Big Ten), which improved to 13-1 in games decided by six points or less and moved into a tie with Purdue for first place in the Big Ten with three games remaining.

Jamison Battle led the four Minnesota players in double figures with 17 points, as the Gophers (13-13, 4-13) lost for the 13th time in the last 15 meetings to the Badgers. Just like the meeting between the two last month in Madison, this one came down to the final minutes.

Davis (12 pts, 9 rebounds) picked up an offensive foul for his fourth and was caught reaching in on Payton Willis for his fifth on the next trip down the floor. Willis split the free throws, leaving the game tied at 62, but the Badgers got a layup from Jordan Davis (career-high 7 points) to take a two-point lead and, after a defensive stop, Crowl beat the shot clock with a high hook shot off the glass with 1:19 remaining.

Getting a layup from Willis to cut the lead to 66-64, freshman Chucky Hepburn missed a high-percentage layup at the rim, but Wahl got a hand on the rebound off the glass and batted the ball out to Brad Davison. It was one of 10 offensive rebounds for the Badgers, who scored 11 second-chance points and out-rebounded Minnesota, 38-19.

Davison finished the possession with two free throws, giving the Badgers a two-possession lead it would hold on to until the final second.

Minnesota entered the night 13th in the league in scoring per game, but Battle made the Gophers look like a powerhouse. Averaging 1.67 points on their first 12 possessions, the Gophers started 11-for-16 and had an assist on their first 12 baskets, a lot of that offense a result of Battle hitting shots from the perimeter, the mid-range, and at the rim.

The Gophers eventually cooled, finishing the half 3-for-11, to allow Wisconsin to inch back in front by halftime. While Johnny Davis had the highlight play, switching lanes on a driving layup at the rim, it was the work of Crowl and Wahl that helped UW shoot 55.6 percent in the first half.

Entering the game averaging 9.2 points on the season, Crowl had 10 points and three rebounds by the 11:10 mark. He handed the baton to Wahl, who scored six of his 10 first-half points on three straight low post possessions. UW’s two forwards helped the Badgers hold a 24-12 edge in paint points at the half and score points on 62.1 percent of their possessions.

The second half was sluggish for both teams offensively. The Badgers were whistled for seven fouls in the first 6:08, putting the Gophers into the bonus, and committed five turnovers on their first nine possessions. Despite the constant whistles, Wisconsin’s defense pestered Minnesota and held the Gophers to 4-for-15 over the first 14 minutes.

The Badgers’ largest lead of the game was eight with 6:25 to go, but that gap was short-lived. The Gophers finally cobbled together offense for an 8-0 run over 61 seconds to tie the game. Neither team led by four the rest of the way.

What it means: With Purdue off until Saturday, Wisconsin moved back into a first-place tie with the Boilermakers, continuing to build excitement for the team’s matchup Tuesday at the Kohl Center.

Star of the game: There are multiple choices that are worthy of this label, but Crowl hadn’t scored more than 13 points in a conference game this season and finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes.

Stat of the game: Rebounding. Wahl had a double-double and Johnny Davis finished one rebound shy of one. The Badgers had six offensive rebounds in the second half to help extend possessions.

Turning point: Wahl’s sixth offensive rebound of the game, helping Wisconsin extend the possession after Hepburn’s miss with 26 seconds remaining.

Don’t overlook: The play of Jordan Davis. With Jahcobi Neath (suspended) and Lorne Bowman (sickness) unavailable, Davis was the only scholarship guard on the UW bench. Playing a career-high 20 minutes, Davis had a career-high seven points (3-for-3) with two rebounds, two assists, and no turnovers. When UW struggled mightily to start the second half (five turnovers in the first nine possessions), Davis hit a contested 3-pointer to put the Badgers up 47-44. When he was on the floor, UW outscored Minnesota by 11.

What’s next: Wisconsin’s final true road game of the season takes them to one of its toughest venues – the Jersey Mike’s Arena – Saturday evening at Rutgers. Although losing by nine at Michigan Wednesday, the Scarlet Knights (16-11, 10-7) are 4-2 in their last six games, all wins coming over ranked opponents. One of those was over the Badgers, a 73-65 win at the Kohl Center February 12 in which Rutgers shot 51 percent from the floor, 7-for-12 from 3-point range and had four players in double figures.

Since joining the Big Ten, UW is 1-3 in true road games at Rutgers.

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