Time ran out on the Badgers as their last-ditch effort at an overtime comeback against Michigan State fell short when Ryan Evans' banked-in three-point shot was ruled no good as the backboard clock showed all zeros and the Spartans (3-0 Big Ten, 14-2 overall) were handed a 63-60 victory over a reeling Wisconsin squad.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo's first victory in Madison over UW head coach Bo Ryan was a memorable one. The Badgers (1-2 Big Ten, 12-4 overall) shot the ball at an anemic pace the entire game, finishing at a 33% clip softened tremendously by late heroics from senior guard Jordan Taylor, who finished with a game-high 28 points.
But beyond the heartbreaking finish and the poor shooting, Wisconsin failed to do the little things necessary to win. Taylor himself was uncharacteristically shaky with the ball, turning the ball over four times while notching just a single assist. The Badgers were out-rebounded 41-33 and missed 8 free throws (including two that were the front end of potential "one and one" chances), one of those free throws coming when Taylor had a chance to give UW a lead with just over 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
As the Badgers head into two tough road games against Michigan and Purdue, they must do something about their utter lack of depth. In Tuesday's defeat, three players finished with over 40 minutes of court time (out of a possible 45). Only seven players saw action for UW while Michigan State got a full 10 players involved in the act. The Badgers lack of depth hurt them tremendously in losses to Iowa and Michigan State, as UW starters were clearly fatigued during a few disorganized possession late in the game.
Facing the prospect of having to recover from consecutive home losses for the first time in three years, UW is squarely in danger zone and potentially on the verge of playing themselves out of a 14th straight NCAA tournament appearance.
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