INDIANAPOLIS—The presence of senior forward Shavon Shields made all the difference in the world in Nebraska’s (16-17 overall) 70-58 upset win over Wisconsin (20-12) Thursday night in the Big Ten Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Shields sat out the Cornhuskers’ last game against the Badgers thanks to a concussion, but showed no signs of lasting effects, shredding the Badgers’ defense the second time around. Shields finished the game with 20 points, nine rebounds and a pair of assists, and did virtually all of his damage in the paint.
Nebraska as a whole dominated the game down low, scoring 30 points in the paint to Wisconsin’s 18. The Cornhuskers took just eight 3-pointers on the night, clawing their way into the teeth of the Badgers’ defense, where they shot 51.2 percent.
Getting down in the post also helped them earn many trips to the free throw line, where they made 22-of-28. They made a concerted effort to drive into the lane and try to either get an easy basket or get fouled, and it worked again and again.
“When we’re good, it’s hell or high water going to the basket for us,” head coach Tim Miles said. “I thought that with some quickness and some power we could get to the rim or get fouled… that’s as important a key to the game as anything.”
UW struggled to find a rhythm offensively from the get-go, making just 29.2 percent of its shots in the first half and 4-of-9 free throws.
While they’ve made their money of late from beyond the arc, the Badgers couldn’t get hot from distance against the aggressive Cornhusker defense. Early and often, they looked for 3-point shots, and they just weren’t falling. UW’s first four shots were threes, and ended the game a dismal 4-for-20 from downtown.
That may have been a conscious choice for the Badgers, since redshirt freshman forward Ethan Happ was getting double-teamed every time he touched the ball down low, leaving shooters open on the perimeter. But every quick kickout was answered by an even quicker closeout, and the shots careened off the rim every time.
Perhaps it was just a bad shooting night, but it looked like the Nebraska defense was playing with an energy level a step above the Badgers’.
“We worked hard at our rotations, knowing Greg does a good job of spacing,” Miles said. “ You could see that they were moving fast and they were all moving together. That helped a lot, because you have to get to Ethan and make it as hard as possible on him.”
Junior forward Vitto Brown was the lone bright spot for UW in the first half, going a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and hitting all three of the Badgers’ first half 3-pointers.
But the second half was a different story, as Brown couldn’t get to his spot and attempted just two shots, missing both.
“I think I just stopped moving as well without the ball and stopped getting open,” Brown said. “Our guys were driving, but I didn’t make myself available for those passes.”
Brown wasn’t the only one missing shots in the second half, though. As a team, the Badgers shot just 31 percent from the floor and a paltry 10 percent from 3-point range in the second half. Junior forward Nigel Hayes struggled more than anyone, making just two of his 15 shots and missing all six of his 3-point attempts.
“We really talked about getting the fronts, because he’s a good post player,” Shields said on guarding Hayes. “The team defense of everyone rotating and doubling and everybody being locked in kind of took him out of his rhythm and took him off his game.”
UW struggled early on in the season against inferior teams like Western Illinois and Milwaukee, but those issues seemed to have been resolved under head coach Greg Gard. But once again, the Badgers underestimated a team that they should have beaten and didn’t put out the intensity they needed to.
“He [Gard] told us that they want to come out with passions and fire, and I think we downplayed their abilities in the beginning,” Brown said. “And we were kind of taken by surprise at how hard they were going on both ends of the floor.”
For Shields and fellow senior Benny Parker, keeping their season going means the world. Nebraska won’t make the NCAA Tournament without a Big Ten Tournament Championship, and keeping that dream alive has provided them with a lift.
“It means a lot,” said Parker. “Every game, coach makes sure that we know it could be our last game, so we just go in with that mentality and do whatever it takes to get a win and keep playing.”
Miles had a feeling late in the game that his team was doing something special. He took a moment in the waning seconds to breathe it all in and feel a distinct sense of pride for his seniors.
“I looked at the clock with 30 seconds left and got chills, I could feel goosebumps on my legs because I was just so happy for these guys,” Miles said. “I saw extreme joy, you know, a tough-minded group playing together, finding a way to beat a ranked opponent. I was just so happy for them.”
The Cornhuskers will face No. 3 Maryland (24-7) in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Next up for the Badgers is an agonizing three-day wait as they prepare to learn where they’ll be seeded in the NCAA Tournament. But Gard isn’t concerned about where they’ll land in the bracket.
“I’m more concerned about how we’re playing versus where we’re seeded or who we’re playing,” he said. “As I told the team, you got one more. You can put the jersey on one more time.”
