Looking for revenge after a tough overtime loss last month in East Lansing, the Badgers certainly did their best to make amends as they pulled away to an 82-56 win Sunday at the Kohl Center.
Michigan State (13-10, 5-6) never led in this one, trailing the entire way in after the first of 3 three-point shots went down for senior forward Keaton Nankivil, giving the Badgers a 5-2 lead less the two minutes in.
Though Nankivil finished with 11 big points for Wisconsin (17-5, 7-3), this one was all about junior guard Jordan Taylor. Finally getting consideration as one of the nation’s top players, Taylor took advantage of having the national spotlight shining down on him as he posted a career-high 30 points to go along with 6 assists to just one turnover.
“I know he’s improved his game, but today was at another level…” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “I think he played like one of the best guards in the country, not in the Big Ten, today.”
After missing three of his first four field goal attempts, the Cousy Award finalist knocked down 8 of his final 9 shots, finishing 9/13 from the field including 3 of 4 from downtown.
“I’ve got confidence in my teammates and they’ve got confidence in me…” Taylor said. “If you’re confident in it, it should be a good shot.”
With Michigan State trailing just 10-9 seven minutes in, a Tim Jarmusz three-pointer seemed to be the early dagger in the heart of the Spartans, marking the start of a 14-2 Badger run that put this one to bed.
While Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer (20 points, 6 rebounds) accounted for 50 of UW’s 82 points, the offensive production was spread around. All 5 Badger starters finished with at least 5 points, with 3 posting double digits as the team shot a collective 59% from the field.
“We made some tough shots today,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “Michigan State was guarding the heck out of us.”
“If they shoot like that, they’ll win the national championship,” Izzo added. “They’ve got some depth and a guard who’s playing as well as anyone in the country.”
Now losers of 4 of 5, the Spartans are on the brink of seeing a once-promising season head down a slippery slope that could spell the end of their 13-year NCAA tournament streak, the longest in the Big Ten and third longest in the nation.
Meanwhile, the Badgers have officially gotten itself back into the national conversation and have even reclaimed an outside chance at a Big Ten title.
“Since that Michigan State loss (on January 11), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to create an identity…” Nankivil said. “I think in the games we’ve had since then, for the most part, we’ve done a better job of playing the way we want to play and the way we play best.”
With undefeated and #1 Ohio State set to visit the Kohl Center on Saturday, the Badgers have to focus on getting a road win against an improved Iowa team on Wednesday in a game that screams of trap game. But if today’s performance is any indication, this is a team focused squarely at the task at hand.
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