Having seemingly righted the ship after their blowout loss last week against Florida, Wisconsin once again struggled to contain the attack of a ranked opponent, losing 84-74 to No. 14 Creighton in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational.
The Badgers (3-2) were unable to slow down the Creighton attack and All-American Doug McDermott. The Ames, Iowa native dominated the post and finished with a game-high 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting. The production of junior forward Ethan Wragge was perhaps even more of a crushing blow to UW as he added 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Wragge’s two three-point shots combined with four points from McDermott spurned a 20-6 run by the Jays that turned a two-point Wisconsin lead with just under 9 minutes left, into a 12-point Creighton advantage inside the two minute mark.
Though the shooting struggles of junior Ben Brust (2-for-12) and sophomore Traevon Jackson (1-for-6) certainly hurt the Badgers’ chances of pulling off the upset, it was the defensive effort that once again paved the way for another Wisconsin defeat. After only allowing 70+ points in a game twice last season (including a 79-71 win over Indiana), UW allowed Creighton to become the second opponent in the 1st five games to reach that mark.
The 84 points for the Jays were the most allowed by a Badger team since a 93-65 loss at Ohio State back on March 6, 2011.
One bright spot for Wisconsin was the play of senior center Jared Berggren. Perhaps motivated by the chance to make a good impression on NBA scouts in Las Vegas to see McDermott, the overlooked Princeton, Minn native finished with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Though ultimately outscored by the Jays’ star, Berggren certainly made an impression, single-handedly taking UW on a 15-5 run midway through the second half that turned an eight-point deficit into a 60-58 lead as he headed to the bench for a much needed rest.
Unfortunately that lead would be the final Badger lead of the night. Wragge erased it with a 3-point shot with 7:49 left that gave Creighton a 61-60 lead they would never relinquish.
Outside of Berggren, the Badgers’ other experienced contributors had a tough night. Senior forward Mike Bruesewitz was in foul trouble practically from the opening tip and would finish with just 2 points and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes prior to fouling out with just over 3 minutes left.
Fellow senior Ryan Evans had another up-and-down night. While the Phoenix native finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds, his shot selection was poor on several occasions and he was unable to run down several crucial loose balls.
Brust also struggled in another game against a ranked foe. After two consecutive double-double efforts, the Hawthorn Woods, Ill native finished with just 4 points and 6 rebounds and was 0-for-5 from 3-point range before fouling out in the final minute of play.
In the end, Wisconsin’s inability to hold Creighton to one shot per possession was a difference maker. Though the final run by the Jays was primarily on first-shot opportunities, the Badgers were only kept from a large lead by 15 second chance points from the Jays in the first half alone. Add to that a plus-10 advantage at the free throw line and Creighton had itself a formula for victory.
Wisconsin now turns its attention to the third place game Saturday against Arkansas. The Razorbacks are coming off an 83-68 loss to Arizona State in the semifinal round and are now 3-1 on the young season. Led by sophomore guard BJ Young, who had 29 points in Friday’s loss, Arkansas gives the Badgers yet another chance to notch a victory over a major conference foe in a non-conference slate featuring three more such opportunities.
