The fifth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team suffered a crushing 72-61 defeat to the 12th-seeded James Madison Dukes in Brooklyn, New York in the first round of the NCAA men’s March Madness tournament..
Wisconsin never found its footing in the first-round matchup against James Madison as the Dukes maintained defensive pressure throughout the game to force 19 turnovers and 32 missed shots out of 51 from the field.
Friday’s loss concluded a rollercoaster season for the Badgers, who finished with a 22-14 overall record and will now spend the rest of March watching the tournament from home.
The Badgers started Friday’s game off poorly, turning the ball over to the Dukes 14 times in the first half despite averaging just 9.7 turnovers per game coming into the tournament. Wisconsin was down by 13 points at the end of the first half.
Wisconsin’s struggles continued into the second half as the Badgers failed to make a dent into the Dukes’ lead. Wisconsin guard Max Klesmit’s five made 3-point shots were the sole rallying cry. Klesmit ended the game with 18 total points.
The Badgers came into the NCAA tournament after a Big Ten Championship appearance, where they suffered a similarly crushing defeat in that tournament to Illinois.
