After the disaster that took place in the final seven minutes of Wisconsin’s loss to Michigan State, the Badgers may have expected a simple get-right game against the team they beat by 21 points back in early January.
That’s not what happened. The Gophers turned Wednesday night into the exact type of game they wanted.
Minnesota’s second-half run, aided by a choppy, foul-heavy pace, surely put a pit in the stomachs of Badger players, coaches and fans everywhere. Yet their superior scoring talent prevailed in the final minutes, leading to a 74-67 win, their ninth straight in this border rivalry.
John Blackwell led the team in scoring for the third straight game, albeit in an uglier fashion — finishing with 25 points on 8-for-21 shooting, including 2-of-9 from 3.
His scoring run at the end of the first half gave the Badgers a cushion that they carried until the middle of the second, when Minnesota answered with a 13-3 burst in just two-and-a-half minutes.
Brennan Rigsby came off of the bench and scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Lu’cye Patterson wasn’t far behind with 15.
They stepped up for a struggling Dawson Garcia, one of the Big Ten’s top scorers, who scored just three points in the first half and finished with 14 on 6-of-17 shooting.
Despite falling to a measly 15-14 record (7-11 Big Ten) with the loss, this Gophers team looked as aggressive and competitive as any of Wisconsin’s recent opponents
Kamari McGee, who started for a second straight game in place of Max Klesmit, was held scoreless. Nolan Winter finished with just seven points.
John Tonje may have scored six points in the final two minutes to pad the lead (and his stats), but the Gophers mostly rendered him an afterthought, partially due to his foul trouble. He still finished with 18 on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 at the line.
The Badgers were able to stay disciplined within a tough road environment and rebound from their disastrous loss to Michigan State, even if it didn’t happen as easily as they hoped.
What it means: A seven-point win against a team that the Badgers are eight games better than may not seem like much, but the way they closed the game after allowing a second-half run can’t be overlooked. Fighting through adversity like that and winning in a tough road environment may be more beneficial than a 30-point blowout.
Star of the game: John Blackwell. Greg Gard will probably say something about his shooting in the postgame press conference, but he was the only Badger who was able to generate consistent offense. Tonje added some points in the final minutes, but make no mistake, this was a one-man show.
Stat of the game: Wisconsin went 21-of-24 from the free throw line, their most attempts since the Feb. 15 game against Purdue. Carter Gilmore, Tonje and Blackwell went a combined 19-20. The Badgers took advantage of a choppy, foul-heavy night.
Reason to be Concerned: Max Klesmit missed his second straight game with a lower leg injury, leaving McGee to start in his place, who has just three points combined in his two starts. His 6-foot frame has looked all too obvious against back-to-back quality defenses. Allowing room for…
Don’t overlook: Jack Janicki’s six points may not stand out much to a box-score skimmer, but each of his three field goals were tough shots that came at important moments in the second half. He even played crunch time minutes in favor of McGee.
What’s next: Wisconsin wraps up its regular season with their senior day on Saturday against Penn State, who are half-a-game away from the bottom of the conference. Yet the Nittany Lions aren’t just laying down to die. After a seven-game losing streak that lasted from late January to mid-February, Penn State rebounded with two wins over Nebraska and Minnesota, then two close losses to Indiana and Maryland. They shouldn’t be overlooked.
Tip-off is set for noon on Saturday, broadcasting on Peacock.
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