Badgers Title Hopes Take a Hit in Minnesota

In over 100 years of basketball at Wisconsin, the Badgers had never played in three consecutive overtime games. Thursday night that streak came to a close, with UW losing a 58-53 overtime decision to rival Minnesota to snap a run of two consecutive overtime victories. Wisconsin (8-4 Big Ten, 17-8 overall) led 49-43 with free throws coming but failed to score over the final 5:08 of regulation, ultimately running their scoreless drought to 8:48 before Sam Dekker made two free throws in overtime with the game already slipping out of reach.

Once again, UW struggled to put the ball in the basket. In addition to an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers, the Badgers shot just 18-for-59 from the field (30.5%) including a 7-for-28 (25%) effort from three-point range. While Wisconsin was able to hold the Gophers to just 36.7% from the field, it was unable to overcome 7 misses at the free throw line, six coming after the six minute mark of the second half.

The inconsistent play of sophomore guard Traevon Jackson hit a low point in Minneapolis. Jackson finished with just 7 points on 3-of-14 from the field while being credited for three turnovers. The turnover figure was fairly generous, with Jackson losing possession on two other occasions before a jump ball kept the ball in UW hands.

Adding to the Badgers’ misery was the continued offensive struggles of senior forward Ryan Evans. Although he did finish with a game-high 11 rebounds, Evans once again struggled to put the ball in the basket, finishing just 2-for-8 from the field and 2-for-8 at the free throw line. During Wisconsin’s second half drought, Evans missed three consecutive free throws, any one of which would have been enough to seal a Badger victory.

Though they led for most of the game, Wisconsin did not deserve to leave Minneapolis with a victory. The Badgers allowed Minnesota (6-6, 18-7) to finish the first half on an 8-0 run over the final 2:50 and a 6-0 run over the final 5:08 of regulation. Senior forward Mike Bruesewitz opened the door by committing a baseline violation with 22.6 seconds left, erasing what appeared to be a game-winning charge taken by the Minnesota native on the previous play. Minnesota senior guard Joe Coleman was fouled by freshman Sam Dekker on the ensuing play and made both of his free throws to even the score at 49.

Wisconsin had the final look but once again came up with a terrible offensive possession, managing to get nothing more than an off-balance and contested jumper from Jackson that didn’t even catch a piece of the rim. After two more misses at the charity stripe by Evans, Minnesota sophomore guard Andre Hollins (21 points, 5 rebounds) capitalized with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, giving the Gophers a 52-49 lead they would never relinquish.

If there was a bright spot for the Badgers, it was once again the play of freshman wing Sam Dekker. The Sheboygan native got off to a slow start but gave the Badgers a needed spark in the second half, finishing with a game-high 14 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Dekker’s back-to-back three-point shots midway through the second half turned a 39-37 deficit into a 43-41 lead that for a while looked to be enough for a 5^th-straight UW victory over the rival Gophers.

Now halfway through arguably the most important weekend of the Big Ten season, the Badgers need desperately to bounce back as they host No. 13 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. The Buckeyes have been in the top 10 most of the season but have struggled of late, dropping two straight last week to Michigan and Indiana before nearly losing a third straight when they hosted Northwestern Thursday night.

Except for a shocking 63-60 win last February in Columbus, the Badgers have struggled since knocking off a then-undefeated Ohio State team back in 2011. After its 58-49 win in Columbus last month, OSU has now won three of four over Wisconsin. With both teams entering play at 8-4 in the Big Ten, it would be hard to overstate the importance of Sunday’s contest.

Wisconsin will have to start by keeping junior forward DeShaun Thomas at bay on the offensive end. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native torched the Badgers for 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting in the last meeting between these two teams and is leading the conference with 20.1 points per game. Outside of Thomas and junior guard Aaron Craft, Ohio State lacks much in the way of experience, giving Wisconsin a golden opportunity to get back to its winning ways in the friendly confines of the Kohl Center.

If there is one thing we know at this point in the year, Wisconsin will be playing a tight game. In addition to three consecutive overtime games, the Badgers have played four consecutive games at the Kohl Center within a single possession. Although behind the eight ball after Thursday’s loss, a fourth straight win in Madison on Sunday would keep the Badgers alive for that elusive conference title in a very competitive Big Ten race.