While it certainly wasn’t their prettiest game, the Wisconsin Badgers (3-2) edged the VCU Rams (2-2) 74-73 Sunday to win third place at the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden.
With seven seconds remaining the game, junior Bronson Koenig gave the Badgers their final lead with a crafty spinning layup that sliced through two VCU defenders.
The prolific guard led both teams with 22 points after producing a forgettable game against Georgetown Friday.
To start the game, Wisconsin came out firing on all cylinders, shooting 7-of-8 and producing a commanding 22-11 early lead.
Despite their hot start, the Rams had a ferocious comeback and finished the half on a 16-5 run, giving them a 43-37 lead over the Badgers.
In the early minutes of the second half, however, Wisconsin went on a 7-0 run, earning its first lead in the second half. For the remainder of the half, the teams played closely, with neither team leading by six or more points.
Though they looked much better than when they played Georgetown, the Badgers were still plagued with turnover issues, as they gave up the ball 17 times. They entered halftime with 11.
Aside from turnover issues, Wisconsin simply couldn’t play lockdown defense. VCU had three scorers that scored 13-plus points and often the Badgers seemed especially out of place in their transition defense.
With Wisconsin having the most freshmen on its active roster in the entire nation, it’s no surprise that it will have growing pains like this.
“Winning and losing are habits you form. We have a lot of young guys. They have to be part of atmospheres and games like this,” junior Nigel Hayes said.
The preseason All-Big Ten forward finished the afternoon with 10 points, while redshirt freshman Ethan Happ produced a double-double, adding 12 points with 10 rebounds.
The Badgers also received a nice boost from freshmen Khalil Iverson and Charlie Thomas. In their first three games, the duo have looked promising, but they haven’t been able to produce much offensively.
Tonight, the two forwards combined for 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks. In a game where the winner was determined by one point, it is clear their contributions were undoubtedly needed.
VCU guard Melvin Johnson shredded Wisconsin with 21 points and the Rams’ bench outscored the Badger reserves 41-14.
Up next, the Badgers will return to the Kohl Center Wednesday and face off against the winless Prairie View A&M Panthers at 7 p.m.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
