The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team had arguably their worst shooting game of the season in a 56-78 upset loss Saturday to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in New Jersey.
Wisconsin’s last three games were nothing short of the worst possible outcomes, and the Badgers went into Piscataway with their largest losing streak of the season. Saturday’s game only added to their woes.
Rutgers started the game with a 9-0 scoring run in the first three minutes of the game, which forced Wisconsin to fight a losing battle from the jump. The Badgers’ turnovers only worsened their struggles as Wisconsin finished the half with 11 turnovers — more than double the amount of the Scarlet Knights’ first-half turnovers.
The only shining hope for the Badgers was guard AJ Storr, who led Wisconsin in the first half scoring with 13 points. However, that hope only diminished in the second half as the Badgers attempted to battle back from a nine-point deficit.
Storr only scored a single point in the second half and could not find a rhythm against Rutgers’ defenders. The Scarlet Knights continued their thrashing with a 70% shot percentage from the 3-point line and restricted Wisconsin to just nine made shots from the field in the entire second half.
Two Badgers players scored in double digits, Storr and guard Connor Essegian, compared to Rutgers, who had five.
“They [Rutgers] were more aggressive than we were,” said Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard. “We didn't respond up and down the lineup. I'm disappointed how we reacted to the pressure. That's the biggest thing."
Now with a four-game losing streak under their belts paired with the Badgers’ 16-8 overall record and 8-5 record in Big Ten play, Wisconsin will look to snap their losing streak Tuesday against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Kohl Center.
