After turning a three-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Badgers got away from the principles of Wisconsin basketball. Seizing the opportunity, Notre Dame closed the game on a 26-8 run and picked up a 58-51 win over UW in the championship game of the Old Spice Classic.
While the season is still young, Sunday night's loss in Orlando, Fla., hurts.
Opening on Thanksgiving Day, the Badgers struggled to a 50-35 win over MAAC opponent Manhattan, scoring 17 points on the first half in just 23 percent shooting. Although the 35 points UW held Manhattan to marked the Badgers' lowest points-allowed total since the 2008 Big Ten Tournament, it seemed to be more a case of poor offense than of exceptional defense.
Poor offensive performances dominated the entire tournament, highlighted by California's five-point first half in the semifinals against Notre Dame, just one away from the lowest total in the shot-clock era.
The Badgers continued to struggle against Boston College in Friday's semifinals, but were able to put together a spur of production that allowed them to overcome a 29-26 halftime deficit and move into the tournament finals with a 65-55 victory.
While a 32-4 UW run—following a controversial missed dunk by Keaton Nankivil—was a breath of fresh air for a team that has looked completely out of sync since the loss at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the lethargic play reared its ugly head yet again as Wisconsin allowed BC to get within seven late after UW had taken a 22-point lead with just over five minutes to play.
Despite struggling through the first two games, the Badgers were able to make their way into the championship match against the Irish.
Shooting just 29 percent from the field in the first half, the Badgers yet again put themselves in a deficit at the half, but repeated their second-half resurgence and built a double-digit lead with a 24-10 run during the first 10-plus minutes of the half.
Getting away from their patient approach however, UW let Notre Dame back into the game with poorly advised shots, missed box-outs, and a barrage of fouls caused by a lack of attention .
Still, the Badgers had the game in their hands as they took a five-point lead into the final media timeout. Three Irish offensive rebounds, two Badger turnovers, and one monumental missed box-out later, that five point lead was a seven-point deficit with under 20 seconds remaining
This inability to finish comes as a surprise after Wisconsin boasted a 22-0 record when leading or tied at the 4:00 mark last season.
While UW seemingly threw away what would have been their first regular-season tournament title since the 2005 Paradise Jam, the tough loss seems to be one that could mark a crossroads in the 2010-'11 campaig.
The opportunity to bounce back, something that Wisconsin did following all eight of its idseason losses last year, comes Wednesday as the Badgers face North Carolina State in the ACC/Big Ten Challeng. Though coming in with a bit less fanfare than last year's matchup with Duke, the Wolfpack (4-1) possess a loaded freshman class and a characteristically disciplined ACC approach. With only two major conference opponents left on the non-conference slate, a bounce-back victory is crucial for a Badger team looking to build a résumé worthy of a 13th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
—UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
