Having seemingly righted the ship after their blowout loss
last week against Florida, Wisconsin once again struggled to contain the attack
of a ranked opponent, losing 84-74 to No. 14 Creighton in the semifinals of the
Las Vegas Invitational.
The Badgers (3-2) were unable to slow down the Creighton
attack and All-American Doug McDermott. The Ames, Iowa native dominated the
post and finished with a game-high 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting. The
production of junior forward Ethan Wragge was perhaps even more of a crushing
blow to UW as he added 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Wragge’s two three-point shots combined with four points
from McDermott spawned a 20-6 run by the Jays that turned a two-point Wisconsin
lead with just under 9 minutes left into a 12 point Creighton advantage inside
the two minute mark.
Though the shooting struggles of junior Ben Brust (2-for-12)
and sophomore Traevon Jackson (1-for-6) certainly hurt the Badgers’ chances of
pulling off the upset, it was the defensive effort that once again paved the
way for another Wisconsin defeat. After only allowing 70+ points in a game
twice last season (including a 79-71 win over Indiana), UW allowed Creighton to
become the 2nd opponent in the 1st five games to reach
that mark.
The 84 points for the Jays were the most allowed by a Badger
team since a 93-65 loss at Ohio State way back on March 6, 2011.
One bright spot for Wisconsin was the play of senior center
Jared Berggren. Perhaps motivated by the chance to make a good impression on
NBA scouts in Las Vegas to see McDermott, the overlooked Princeton, Minn native
finished a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Though ultimately outscored
by the Jays’ star, Berggren certainly made an impression, single handedly
taking UW on a 15-5 run midway through the 2nd half that turned an
8-point deficit into a 60-58 lead as he headed to the bench for a much needed
rest.
Unfortunately that lead would be the final Badger lead of
the night. Wragge erased it with a 3-point shot with 7:49 left that gave
Creighton a 61-60 lead they would never relinquish.
Outside of Berggren, the Badgers’ other experienced
contributors had a tough night. Senior forward Mike Bruesewitz was in foul
trouble practically from the opening tip and would finish with just 2 points
and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes prior to fouling out with just over 3 minutes
left.
Fellow senior Ryan Evans had another up-and-down night.
While the Phoenix native finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds, his shot
selection was poor on several occasions and he was unable to run down several
crucial loose balls.
Brust also struggled in another game against a ranked foe.
After two consecutive double-double efforts, the Hawthorn Woods, Ill native
finished with just 4 points and 7 rebounds and was 0-for-5 from 3-point range
before fouling out in the final minute of play.
In the end, Wisconsin’s inability to hold Creighton to one
shot per possession was a difference maker. Though the final run by the Jays
was primarily on first-shot opportunities, the Badgers were only kept from a
large lead by 15 2nd chance points from the Jays (IN THE FIRST HALF
ALONE?). Add to that a plus-10 advantage at the free throw line and Creighton
had itself a formula for victory.
Wisconsin now turns its attention to the third place game
Saturday against Arkansas. The Razorbacks are coming off an 83-68 loss to
Arizona State in the semifinal round and are now 3-1 on the young season. Led
by sophomore guard BJ Young, who had 29 points in Friday’s loss, Arkansas gives
the Badgers yet another chance to notch a victory over a major conference foe
in a non-conference slate featuring three more such opportunities.
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