No matter how many times you look at Wisconsin’s road record
in Big Ten play, the conference’s best over the last decade, it seems that the
Badgers will always be known for their tendency to shoot the ball poorly away
from the friendly confines of the Kohl Center. Despite shooting just 26% from
the field in a 19-point first half, the Badgers (2-0 Big Ten, 11-4 overall) were
able to squeak out a 47-41 win and head home to Madison with an unblemished conference
record.
Senior forwards Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren played a big
part in helping UW get the win despite missing 10 free throws and hitting just
25% of its shots from beyond the three-point arc. Although the two big men were
primary culprits when it came to struggling at the charity stripe, each found a
way to make a major contribution. After failing to convert a field goal
opportunity in the first half, Berggren put the Badgers’ offense on his back in
the final 20 minutes, knocking down six shots en route to a game-high 13 points
on 6-of-13 shooting. Evans, despite missing 6 of his 8 free throws, grabbed 14
rebounds to go along with 10 points, giving him his 4th double double
of the season.
Though perhaps unable to stand out in the box score,
sophomore guard Traevon Jackson had what was arguably his breakout performance
for the Badgers. Again struggling early on, Jackson came up big when UW needed
him most, finishing inside late in the shot clock to extend Wisconsin’s lead to
4 with 3:36 left and following it up with a big-time step back jump shot to put
the Badgers up 5 and ice the game with less than 35 seconds left. In addition
to his 4 point, 2 assist, and 1 rebound stat line, Jackson was a big part of
the UW effort defensively, keeping the NU backcourt in check while UW struggled
to put points on the board.
With the victory, UW moves to 2-0 in conference play for the
1st time since 2010. Having avoided tripping over the first two
hurdles in conference play, the Badgers now enter an equally crucial stretch
against the upper half of the Big Ten. After a mid-week break, Wisconsin will
host No. 11 Illinois on Saturday before traveling to No. 5 Indiana and Iowa
over the next week.
Given the strength of the Big Ten this season, games against
the conference’s “bottom feeders” such as Nebraska (0-2 Big Ten, 9-5 overall)
are crucial as the Badgers try to reach the NCAA Tournament for a 15th
consecutive season. Although this week’s victories over Penn State and Nebraska
were anything but pretty, UW has found a way to get the job done.
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