MADISON, Wis. - The final score indicates that Wisconsin got the necessary “easy win” it had been craving for weeks. The Badgers had played seven straight games decided by five points or less, not having a double-digit win for exactly one month. While the Badgers got the desired result, how they got there was anything but eye pleasing.

Wisconsin's 78-56 victory may look dominant (it is the second-biggest victory in terms of scoring margin) but the Badgers (9-2) were pushed by a well-rested Lehigh squad while coping with their own distractions, three off days removed from improving to 2-0 in Big Ten play and on the eve of final exams.

Here are my takeaways from the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin’s defense was atrocious early, allowing Lehigh to generate too many easy looks in the lane on simple dribble drives to the rim without much resistance. The Mountain Hawks are a far cry from an elite offensive unit, ranking 333rd out of 363 teams in Division 1 in offensive efficiency and being held under 65 points the last two games by Maryland Eastern Shore and Maryland-Baltimore County.

However, Lehigh made it look easy with the amount of room the Badgers were giving them to drive straight into the lane and finish at or around the rim. Lehigh shot 68.4 percent from two-point range in the first half, scoring 22 of their 32 first-half points in the paint and went 9-for-11 on layups.

Offensively, Wisconsin also looked out of sync, deploying crowded spacing, not finishing around the rim (4-for-13) on layups, and failing to get to the free throw line (2-for-4). UW entered 14th nationally in turnovers (14.3 per game) but committed seven in the first half that caused seven fast-break points against them. Lehigh averaged 1.07 points per possession in the first half.

In a nearly six-minute stretch, Wisconsin had more turnovers (three) than made shots (0). Naturally, UW’s lone run in the first half was when it forced turnovers on three straight possessions that translated into a 10-0 run.

“I feel like in that first half we were really beating ourselves,” senior Tyler Wahl said. “We were getting easy looks, missing those, and just mental lapses on the defensive end. (The) halftime speech was we got to be ourselves, move the ball, play like we know how to play, and trust each other.”

It took a couple of possessions, but Wisconsin coming out more aggressive and physical eventually wore down Lehigh. That was evident in the low block, where the Badgers allowed Lehigh only two points at the rim in the opening 10 minutes (six points total) and just 1-for-7 on layups in the second half. Taking away that part of the court, Lehigh finished at only .750 points per possession and only 13 points in the final 14:19.

“One of those timeouts, the switch finally flipped where we said there was no more of that,” Wahl said. “All five of us were playing really good team defense.”

Lehigh (4-5) made sure to take away the post and was successful in limiting Steven Crowl to 1-for-6 in the first half and Tyler Wahl to 1-for-3 in the second half but selling out on doubling the post opened things up on the perimeter. UW was consistent with those shots in going 11-for-21 from the perimeter (five in the first, six in the second half).

When the lane finally started to open, UW finished the shots at the rim and scored 24 points in the paint, a large reason it shot 65.5 percent (19-for-29) in the second half and a season-best 51.7 percent overall.

“Shooting is contagious in some regards. We have seen that with threes,” head coach Greg Gard said. “We have seen that with free throw shooting. We had the right guys taking (threes), which was important.”

Wisconsin’s bench contributed 20 points and, per usual, Essegian had most of the offense. Connor Essegian delivered 12 points – one of four Badgers in double figures – and is averaging 10.6 points and shooting 45.2 percent in 11 games off the bench this season.

That production has been critical considering senior Jahcobi Neath missed his eighth straight game with a leg injury, an absence that dates to UW’s trip to The Bahamas

“We all know he can shoot,” forward Steven Crowl said of Essegian, who is fourth in scoring among Big Ten freshmen. “We all know he can score. He’s come along defensively great for us. He’s improving every day. I think the way he moves off the ball makes our lives a lot easier. He’s a great cutter.”

With an already small crowd holding on to nervous energy, Essegian jolted Wisconsin out of its slumber during a critical 26-second stretch. It started with his specialty (a three-pointer) and was the benefit on the defensive end when he ran into screener Dominic Parolin to draw an offensive foul. He hit a three-pointer on the next trip down the floor to put UW up, 44-43, and Wisconsin kept the lead for the final 13 minutes.

“We were out there trying to give each other something to be able to be the energy spark,” Essegian said. “It just fell into place that those shots were the energy booster.”

The freshman has filled that “energy-booster” role well in the second half over the last seven games. Dating back to UW’s overtime loss to Kansas, Essegian is averaging 2.4 points on 23.1 percent shooting (6-for-26), including 15.8 percent on three-point shots (3-for-19) in the first half. In the second half, Essegian is averaging 9.6 points on 59.5 percent shooting (22-for-37), including 62.5 percent from three (15-for-24).

It’s part of the reason why Wisconsin ran some set plays for Essegian in the second half that helped UW’s 40-13 run over the final 14 minutes.

“He gets in a rhythm, he’s a good player,” Gard said.

65.7 – Seven years to the date, December 15, 2015, Greg Gard took over as head coach of Wisconsin following the abrupt resignation of Bo Ryan. Gard has gone 151-80, a winning percentage that puts him third at Wisconsin behind Ryan (.737) and Doc Meanwell (.712)

8 – Chucky Hepburn was held to eight points (4-for-6), the first time in five games he didn’t crack double figures. It was also the first game this season he didn’t attempt a three-pointer.

1.52 – Wisconsin scored 47 points on 31 possessions in the second half, including making 12 of its final 14 shouts.

2 – Lehigh only attempted two free throws (both makes) in the game, coming with 2:45 remaining. The Badgers have never held an opponent without a free throw attempt in a game in school history.

6 – Wisconsin had six turnovers on its first 15 possessions

4 – Wisconsin had just four turnovers on its final 41 possessions

13 – Steven Crowl had 13 of his 15 points in the second half, going 5-for-5 from the floor.

14 – Jordan Davis finished with a career-high 14 points, making a career-best four three-pointers.

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