The Wisconsin Badgers finished the regular season with a disappointing loss in West Lafayette Sunday night, falling to Purdue, 91-77. 91 points is the most points the Badgers gave up all season; the next highest was 79 in an OT win against Indiana. It was the first time Wisconsin gave up 90 points in a Big Ten game since 2011.
In the first half, all of the shots were falling. Wisconsin shot 57% and 7-13 from three, but Purdue hit 8 of 12 threes, going 63% from the field. P.J. Thompson, who came into the game averaging only 5.3 points per game and only 25 made three-pointers, scored 15 in the half on 5-6 from three. Purdue went on a 21-9 run to end the half, and went into halftime up 45-39.
Purdue just wouldn’t miss in the second half, while Wisconsin struggled from the field. The Badgers shot 10-32 (31%), and the Boilermakers shot 11-18 (61%) from the field and 22-29 (76%) from the free throw line. Caleb Swanigan had 23 points in the second half, adding to his career-high 27.
Ethan Happ, who went 1-8 for 2 points in the first matchup, did all he could against Purdue’s Twin Towers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas. Happ went 5-10 from the field this time around for 14 points and 6 rebounds, but Hammons and Haas shot a combined 10-13.
Nigel Hayes had one of his best offensive games in Big Ten play on Sunday night, scoring 30 points and collecting 8 rebounds. He kept the Badgers alive in the second half and shot 8-16 from the field.
Wisconsin will play Thursday night on ESPN2 at approximately 8:00 PM CT – 25 minutes after the Ohio State-Penn State game – in the Big Ten Tournament against the winner of Nebraska and Rutgers.
Photo courtesy of Robert Franklin, AP Photo.