About a year ago, a Top 10 Wisconsin team walked into Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena and encountered a team—and crowd—that simply refused to lose, as if it was something that could be refused. That didn’t happen this time, as the Badgers (10-1 Big Ten, 22-2 overall) were able to ride a defensively dominant first half to a 65-55 victory over the Huskers (5-7, 13-11).
This is the third conference home loss for #Nebrasketball in Pinnacle Bank Arena’s entire two-season history, and the crowd that can lead to that home-court advantage showed up, staying loud even as the Badgers put the screws to a disjointed Husker offense in the first half.
UW jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the game’s first eight minutes, the early points thanks to junior forward Sam Dekker’s continued aggression while playing off the ball and senior center Frank Kaminsky’s floor vision.
By halftime, Dekker had 13 points, as many as the entire Nebraska team. Overall, the Badgers led 27-13, with the Huskers shooting an anemic 6-24 (21 percent) from the floor.
The second half went much better for the Huskers, more than tripling that 13-point output with a 42-point second half. Looking lost for the entire first half, senior forward Terran Petteway, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, pitched in 16 second-half points to lead a charge that brought the game to as close as a five-point margin with a minute remaining.
It ultimately wasn’t enough though, thanks to the Badgers nailing all seven of their free throw attempts in the final minute to maintain their lead.
Dekker finished the game tied for a career-high 21 points on 8-13 shooting. Meanwhile Kaminsky had an all-around game that showed why he has been continuously hyped as a National Player of the Year frontrunner. He didn’t have many points, just 13 on 4-9 shooting, but he made up for it in every other facet of the game, registering 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The Badgers now hold a full three-game lead over the rest of the Big Ten, which has basically parted like the Red Sea to allow the Badgers all the ease they need to take home Bo Ryan’s fourth Big Ten regular season title.
Wisconsin’s next game will be a Sunday home date against Illinois, which just beat Michigan State in East Lansing and has won three in a row.
