MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin left its last meeting against Purdue embarrassed and humiliated from a one-sided blowout. The Badgers were ready to answer the bell in round two.
Junior Aleem Ford scored a career-high 19 points and Wisconsin tightened the screws defensively in the second half to earn a 69-65 victory over the Boilermakers Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
Ford also set a personal best with five 3-pointers, as Wisconsin (16-10, 9-6 Big Ten) hit six 3-pointers in the second half and go 15-for-16 from the line to hold off a late charge by the visitors and move into a tie for third place in the league with five games to go.
It was a result that might have been one of UW’s most satisfying moments all season.
The first meeting between the schools Jan.24 served as one of Wisconsin’s humbling moments of the season, a 19-point pummeling both on the scoreboard and in the 42-16 rebounding disparity. On its friendlier home court, the Badgers landed counterpunches.
Buoyed by a defense that held the visitors to 31.3 percent shooting in the first half, Wisconsin opened the second half on 12-2 run, using a combination of perimeter shots off assists from point guard D’Mitrik Trice, attacking the interior of the lane (something UW didn’t do in the opening half) and racking up fouls.
The Badgers opened the second half making six of their first nine shots and led by as many as 13 points.
Purdue (14-13, 7-9), which fell to 2-7 in conference road games, cut the lead 57-53 with 4:45 remaining off a 3-pointer from Sasha Stefanovic. The Badgers by using Purdue’s old medicine against them with an offensive rebound on four consecutive possessions.
After Trice’s layup rolled off the rim, junior Nate Reuvers secured the offensive rebound, drew a foul and sank both shots. Held scoreless in the first half, Reuvers scored 12 points and helped slow 6-9 forward Trevion Williams (6 points, 2 off. rebound in second half).
A rattled out 3-pointer by Brevin Pritzl and a 3-point play by Nojel Eastern cut the lead to 59-56 with 2:34 remaining, but Pritzl went 2-for-2 from the free throw line after his second offensive rebound in as many possessions.
Stefanovic drained a 3-pointer of his own off a Purdue miss to make it 61-59, but Brad Davison cleaned up a Trice 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock to milk more time.
UW avoided disaster when Stefanovic failed to deliver the gut punch, missing an off-balanced 3-pointer off a Purdue offensive rebound that would have given Purdue the lead.
Davison’s two free throws made it 63-59 with 28.5 seconds remaining, as Davison and Pritzl (13 each) went 8-for-8 from the line down to stretch to counter Purdue’s offense.
Ford scored 14 of his points in the first half, including 3-pointers on consecutive possessions with 91 seconds remaining to boost UW to a 30-27 lead at intermission. The Badgers held Purdue to 31.3 percent in the first half and 38 percent for the game.
Wisconsin stays at home this week and will host Rutgers Sunday at the Kohl Center. Tipoff is schedule for noon on the Big Ten Network.
