Madison, WI – The Badgers were in deep need of a win at home on Tuesday before finals, and they got just that with a 64-49 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi. In Bo Ryan’s last game, Wisconsin pulled out a victory for their beloved coach.
It was only 27-19 (Wisconsin) at the half, as the teams shot a combined 17-57 (30%). Neither team could score the ball, with the Badgers first basket almost six minutes into the game, coming at the 14:01 mark on a Nigel Hayes layup (and-one).
The Badgers pulled away in the second half on a 17-6 run to get them to 50-35 by the under 8-minute media timeout. The Badgers should 64.7% in the second half, which was the main reason for their big lead. The real turning point and deciding factor came when TAMU-CC’s best player Rashawn Thomas committed his fourth foul at the 12:43 mark. Thomas started off the second half strong prior to his fourth foul, and had the Islanders in range. The best part? He averages 4.1 fouls per game anyway, so he finished under his average.
Vitto Brown led the way with 12 points and 16 rebounds, earning him his first career double-double. Ethan Happ and Bronson Koenig were Wisconsin’s leading scorers with 15 points each. Nigel Hayes added 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Wisconsin looked incredibly sloppy at times, with Happ, Hayes, and Koenig all turning the ball over more than usual. The Badgers also were in the bonus early in the second half, but they only managed to shoot 58.1% from the free throw line.
Still, the Badgers came out with a win, as they exploited the Islanders weaknesses: foul trouble and three-point shooting. The Islanders committed 24 fouls, putting the Badgers in the bonus early in both halves, and also only shot 4-18 from the three-point line. As Texas A&M Corpus Christi coach Willis Wilson said: It was a “trash game.”
Wisconsin will resume play on December 23rd against UW-Green Bay at the Kohl Center.
Other Notes
- The Badgers continued their dominance on the glass, out-rebounding the Islanders 42-31. Wisconsin has out-rebounded every opponent this season.
- Wisconsin had 12 assists and 15 turnovers, giving them only a .8 assist-to-turnover ratio tonight.
- Bo Ryan said after the game that Ethan Happ was really under the weather today.
Photo from Fox Sports.