After leading wire-to-wire on Monday, Wisconsin only led for 2 minutes, 54 seconds in Wednesday’s championship game. Fortunately for them, it was the right 156 seconds to control the game.

Trailing by as many as 11 points early and 10 in the second half, the Badgers orchestrated a comeback helped by several contributors making crucial plays to win the Fort Myers Tip-Off with a 69-61 win over SMU.

It’s the second tournament title in three seasons for Wisconsin (4-2), which hopes the momentum from two quality wins in Florida is like the boost winning the 2021 Maui Invitational did in a season that ended with a Big Ten regular-season championship.

Here are my pre-Thanksgiving takeaways from Wednesday’s finals.

The step-back jumper is one of Chucky Hepburn’s favorite shots. It was also the one that caused him the most headaches last season, especially when it came to his misses in late-game situations with his team leaning on him.

A year older and wiser, Hepburn’s commitment to his jumper paid dividends.

Without a point deep into the second half, Hepburn hit three critical shots that were all momentum swings for Wisconsin to pull away from SMU.

Trailing by four, Hepburn's first three-pointer with 4:36 appeared to get his juices flowing. Instead of attempting another perimeter shot in the next possession, Hepburn put the ball on the deck, drove to the rim, used a pump fake to get forward Ja’heim Hudson in the air, and finished through contact for a three-point play.

“I just knew it was time for me to step up,” Hepburn said. “I knew my teammates needed me. I finally felt more energy coming off the bench. Coach Gard sat me for a little bit, so I got a little more energy. When I was able to come back in, it gave me a little more confidence … going into that last stretch.”

After a kick out to A.J. Storr resulted in a thunderous dunk, putting the Badgers up 59-57, Hepburn uncorked another step-back three-pointer in the presence of Zhuric Phelps and then knocked the ball out of his hands in the lane on the trip down the court, resulting in a turnover.

SMU didn’t get closer than four points the rest of the game.

Battling illness throughout the trip, Hepburn showed his maturation and leadership with his performance.

“He gutted it out,” head coach Greg Gard said. “He felt he didn’t have any juice to him, but he was on the assistants about wanting to be back in the game when I sat him down, trying to get a spark from someone else. He finished with a flurry.”

Gard called the first half “lifeless” for Wisconsin, bookended by a four-point possession to double the deficit going into the locker room. His group found its spark when it mattered.

Max Klesmit's 3-pointer with 7:56 remaining tied the score at 48, the first time the game had been tied since the opening minutes. He didn’t shy away from the shot, even though the Badgers were in a string of 14 consecutive missed three-pointers.

Steven Crowl only had five points, but his length allowed him to throw out an offensive rebound to Storr, who drove in the lane for a layup and a 57-55 lead. One possession later, Hepburn from the post fed Storr on the perimeter, who drove the lane and finished with a furious right-hand slam. All 11 of his points came at the rim or at the free-throw line.

“He finally played off two feet," Gard said. “That put him towards the backboard and not flying towards the wall out of bounds. Hence, he took the contact and he was able to finish.”

Tyler Wahl finished with a team-high 14 points, but his biggest play might have been when forward Samuell Williamson bobbled the ball on the baseline, allowing the UW senior to quickly reach in for the steal.

And for a team that has had its issues shooting foul shots, Wisconsin went 7-for-8 from the line in the final 1:08.

“I like how they’ve figured out who they need to be and how we need to play to be good,” Gard said. “They’re learning. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting better.”

Wisconsin’s bench was made up of a combination of inexperienced players, transfers, and mid-major talent last season, a reason why the Badgers got an average of just 12.9 points from their reserves over a 35-game season.

With the addition of a talented freshmen class and a more experienced group, the Badgers are getting 21.5 points per game from its group off the bench.

While John Blackwell continues to draw praise and deserves it again after scoring 10 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and being active defensively, the Badgers got solid, steady minutes in the tournament from Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore, points from forward Nolan Winter, and saw signs of life from Connor Essegian.

The sophomore hit his first three-pointer of the season in the first half and finished with a season-high five points, a possible sign that he’s working his way through his shooting woes.

“When other guys are struggling or we need a little jolt from off the bench, we’ve been able to get it,” Gard said. “That’s the sign of a good team. Different guys can help us out.”

10 - Trailing by 10 with 13:00 remaining, the Badgers pulled out their first double-digit, second-half comeback since a 71-68 overtime win over Nicholls on Dec. 15, 2021.

30 - Wisconsin claimed its sixth November non-conference tournament championship over the last 20 years. UW has now gone 30-13 (.698) in non-conference November tournaments since 2005.

.828 - Wisconsin's points per possession in the first half.

1.552 - Wisconsin's points per possession in the second half.

11 - Steals for Wisconsin.

11.5 - Wahl's scoring average in the two games. He also had 16 rebounds, including 11 total offensive boards, to win tournament MVP honors.

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