All the young Badgers were looking for was some confidence moving forward, and they may have found it tonight. After a disappointing 4-3 start, Wisconsin traveled to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse to knock off the #14 Orange, 66-58 in overtime.
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Wisconsin moved the ball exceptionally well in the first half, which led to better looks than Syracuse had. The team struggled in the second half though, trailing Syracuse most of the way. Wisconsin also had a chance to win the game with 10 seconds left, but Vitto Brown’s 12-footer fell short.
The frontcourt lead the way for Wisconsin, with Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes starring for the Badgers. Happ had 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Hayes had 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Vitto Brown also scored 11 points in the first half and hit a clutch three-pointer down the stretch, as he shot 6-9 from the floor.
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Bronson Koenig hit a huge three as well to tie the game at 53 heading into overtime, as well as hit clutch free throws in overtime. Zak Showalter played exceptional defense, drawing two charges and helping to hold Syracuse to only 29.2% shooting from three-point. The bench did next to nothing, scoring only one point (Charlie Thomas) in 16 total minutes.
The Badgers had 20 turnovers, very uncharacteristic of Bo Ryan’s teams, but dominated almost every other statistical category, especially leading in rebounding (51-25), field goal percentage (41.7% to 35.7%), free throw percentage (91.7% to 55%), and assists (15-12).
This was a huge win for the Badgers, who have been disappointed with their performance so far this season. After witnessing practice on Monday, there was no doubt that this team was absolutely feeling the pressure following back-to-back Final Fours, with coaches getting on players for their poor play. Now, they can relax for a little bit and build confidence for the rest of non-conference play.
Wisconsin takes on Temple at home at 11:30 AM CT on Saturday.
Photo from @BadgerMBB.