After Wisconsin’s home upset against No. 4 Michigan State last Sunday, junior forward Nigel Hayes opined that “if you hit more free throws than the other team, then you usually win.”
This mentality proved to be right Tuesday night, as Hayes and the Badgers (4-4 Big Ten, 12-9 overall) got to the free-throw line frequently and defeated No. 19 Indiana (7-1, 17-4) 82-79 in overtime at the Kohl Center.
With 37 trips to the charity stripe, the Badgers scored 26 points and had a season-high in free-throw makes and attempts. Hayes, who led both teams with 31 points, made 17 out of his 22 free throw attempts, and ended up making more free throws than Indiana as a team. The Hoosiers were sent to the charity stripe just 18 times during the game.
“The 19 free throw differential is a head scratcher for me and we got to continue to look at how we create more contact,” Indiana head coach Tom Crean said.
In addition to Hayes’ 31-point performance, redshirt freshman forward Ethan Happ also impressed and looked like a potential Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate after recording 25 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
But with junior guard Bronson Koenig finishing the game 1 for 9 from the field and redshirt junior guard Zak Showalter fouling out with zero points, the Badgers desperately needed a spark in the backcourt from their bench.
Luckily for them, Jordan Hill rose to the occasion.
The redshirt sophomore guard came into the night averaging just 2.7 points per game, but had a tremendous performance offensively, finishing with 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting.
“I played aggressively and believed in myself. It’s really that simple,” Hill said of his performance.
After being down for most of the first half, Wisconsin built an eight-point lead with just under two minutes remaining, but ended up going into halftime only leading by one point. Though the Badgers struggled in closing out the first half, they started the second half on a 7-2 run and led most of the second half until Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell scored five points with under a minute remaining.
Despite a rocky 7-of-12 start for the line, Hayes came up clutch when it mattered most, hitting four free throws in the final minute of regulation.
In overtime, the Badgers prevailed as Indiana continued to foul and sent UW to the charity stripe.
By the end of the game, Ferrell had carved up the UW defense for 30 points, including five 3-pointers, but the Badgers defense made enough stops to earn the win, their 14th consecutive victory over the Hoosiers at the Kohl Center.
“I don’t know if we’d be in a position to be able to pull something like this out 6-8 weeks ago,” UW interim head coach Greg Gard said of his team’s overtime victory. “The cohesiveness and togetherness and how these guys have grown together is something that makes me extremely proud.”
Having won three straight games for the first time this season, the Badgers are beginning to build momentum and will have an easier stretch of conference play during the next couple weeks. This upcoming Sunday, UW will travel to Urbana-Champaign and face off against Illinois, followed by home games against Ohio State and Nebraska.
