The University of Wisconsin drew headlines over the last five months for its offense. During the last four days, the Badgers showed that their championship DNA is still rooted in their defense.
But they still have to make shots, which didn't happen with a conference title on the line.
It was evident that fifth-seeded Wisconsin ran out of gas on Sunday afternoon, shooting a season-worst 22.1 percent from the floor in an ugly 59-53 defeat to No.3 Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament title game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It's the third time the Badgers (26-9) have fallen short of their quest for a fourth tournament title, as the program's tournament title drought extends to 10 tournaments when Bo Ryan was in his final full season of coaching.
Michigan center Vlad Goldin and guard Tre Donaldson combined to score nine of the Wolverines' final 11 points. Michigan (25-9) erased an 11-point second-half deficit despite shooting only 32.2 percent from the floor.
John Blackwell led all scorers with 18 points but missed his final four shots, as UW ended the game with nine consecutive misses, no field goals, and only two points over the final five possessions and 3:55.
Winning any title with the offensive numbers that Wisconsin had would have been unthinkable a month ago. An offense averaging 80.5 points per game and the 10th-most efficient offense in the country, the Badgers went 15-for-68 from the field and 7-for-39 from three-point range, including only 3-for-145 in the second half.
Leading scorer John Tonje finished with nine points, held without a field goal with 4:37 remaining in the game and finished 1-for-14. However, UW still had chances to win thanks to a defense that held four opponents to 35.4 percent from the field (85-for-240).
It appeared evident early that both teams were dealing with tired legs. In a half where many open looks fell short, both teams averaged under .700 points per possession and shot less than 29 percent from the floor.
However, Wisconsin - shooting just 21.6 percent - earned a 23-21 halftime lead based on finishing plus-six on the offensive glass, plus-five on second-chance points, and holding the Wolverines without a free-throw attempt.
Both teams found a burst coming out of the locker room, with UW scoring six of its nine points before the under-16 timeout driving to the rim and Michigan hitting a pair of three-pointers.
Wisconsin took its largest lead, 38-27, with 15:11 remaining, but the Badgers missed their next eight shots and 11 of 12 over 10 minutes, allowing the Wolverines to tie the score with 5:50 remaining.
With the game tied at 53 entering the final minute, Michigan got two of its three second-half offensive rebounds on one possession, ending with Goldin drawing a foul on Steven Crowl and going 2-for-2 from the line.
Facing a string of six consecutive misses, Tonje faced resistance on his drive to the rim and kicked the ball out to Blackwell. He also found no success and couldn't finish through Goldin at the rim and UW couldn't grab the defensive rebound.
Donaldson hit two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to start the Michigan celebration.
What it means: Wisconsin looked like a team that had played four games in four days. With heavy legs causing jumpers to fall short, the Badgers didn't do enough to counter their poor perimeter shooting by attacking the lane.
Star of the game: Wisconsin wouldn't be in the title game without Tonje, but the Badgers wouldn't have had a chance to win their first Big Ten Tournament title in a decade without Blackwell.
Stat of the game: Michigan had a 47-18 edge in rebounds against Maryland, including a sizeable 18-4 edge in offensive rebounds that led to the same difference in second-chance points. UW won the rebounding battle 46-40, including 15-6 on the offensive glass to gain a 14-7 edge in second-chance points.
Reason to be Concerned: Chalk it up to a fourth physical game in four days, but Wisconsin isn't going to advance far in the coming weeks if it can't find the bottom of the net.
Don’t overlook: Players not named Tonje went a combined 9-for-51 from the floor, including Max Klesmit going 4-for-14.
What’s next: Wisconsin will find out where it will be seeded in the 2025 NCAA Tournament this evening. Most bracketologist project the Badgers will be a No.3 seed and start their tournament run in Milwaukee on Friday. The Badgers are 40-26 (.606) all-time in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Four Final Fours and winning the 1941 NCAA title. UW has won at least one game in four of its five appearances under Gard but is searching for its first regional semifinal appearance since 2017.
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