MADISON, Wis. – After putting together a five-game win streak with high-powered offense, the University of Wisconsin had to battle through a night where its offense with sporadic. Luckily it still had its defense to rely on.
Aleem Ford slammed home the go-ahead bucket but Nate Reuvers blanketing Daniel Otusu on the Gophers’ second-to-last possession was the difference in Wisconsin’s gritty 71-69 victory over Minnesota at the Kohl Center Sunday night.
Held scoreless in his return to Williams Arena last month, Brad Davison scored a team-high 20 points for Wisconsin (19-10, 12-6 Big Ten), which increased its winning streak to six games to move into a three-way tie for second place in the Big Ten, just one game behind conference-leader Maryland.
Brevin Pritzl scored 15 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the final minute, and Micah Potter added 10 to help the Badgers survive on a night where it shot 39.7 percent from the floor and just 8-for-22 from 3-point range.
Oturu (26 points) and Marcus Carr (21) were the main sources of offense for the Gophers (13-15, 7-11), which cost itself by going 13-for-23 from the free throw line.
Wisconsin and Minnesota slugged its way through an opening half devoid of flow. The two teams combined to shoot 5-for-26 from 3-point range and 25-for-65 (38.5 percent) from the floor. But after the lift Davison gave the team going into the locker room, Wisconsin slowly started to gain separation, with some help from Potter.
Coming off the bench for the third consecutive game, Potter scored eight of his points in the first six minutes to give Wisconsin its biggest lead at 47-35. The Badgers couldn’t run away and hide.
Scoring eight points in the paint in six possessions, with a 3-pointer and a free throw thrown in, the Gophers squared with 9:21 remaining. It was nip and tuck … and a free throw contest. After both teams combined for 11 fouls in the first half, the two combined for 18 fouls in the first 11 minutes. Wisconsin made the bonus with 14:08 on the clock, and Minnesota at 10:09. And when neither team converted with consistency, the game stayed within four points for the final 10 minutes.
Carr’s driving layup over Potter gave the Gophers a 64-62 lead and, following an empty possession, doubled its lead on a driving layup by Gabe Kalscheur. On a night where Minnesota went 4-for-19 from 3-point range, the Gophers compensation by scoring 34 points in the paint.
Davison added to his point total with a pair of free throws, bringing a capacity crowd to its feet, and Pritzl capped off a mad-dash sequence by hitting an open 3-pointer in front of UW’s bench to retake the lead at 68-67 with 56.2 left.
Oturu continued to be a thorn in Wisconsin’s side when he calmly sank a jumper with 47 seconds left, but the Badgers answered when Ford caught forward Isaiah Ihnen cheating out on a shooter, cut to the basket and slammed home a feed from D’Mitrik Trice with 29.7 left.
Minnesota went back to Oturu following a clock review, but Reuvers – bogged down on a 1-for-5 shooting night – was ready. Despite being backed down and trying to unleash a bevy of low-post moves, Reuvers held his grown and denied Oturu’s low-block shot.
Pritzl secured the offensive rebound and made both free throws to extend the lead to 71-68. In a sequence that perfectly reflects the second half, Davison fouled Carr on the perimeter, the junior missed both free throws, Potter fouled Otusu on the rebound with 4.1 seconds, Otusu went 1-for-2, Potter got the rebound and was fouled with 2.6 seconds left.
Potter missed both but Otusu’s half-court heave was nowhere close to allow Wisconsin to escape.
Wisconsin plays its home finale Wednesday night against Northwestern. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
