Behind a balanced scoring attack and diligent second-half defense, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team overcame a slow start to handily defeat the Minnesota Golden Gophers 80-59 on Jan. 10.
Wisconsin found themselves trapped in a 10-point deficit five minutes into the game against their border rivals. From there, Wisconsin worked its way into a tight battle before dismantling Minnesota in a complete second-half takeover. The win marks the Badgers’ fifth in a row, eighth-straight against Minnesota and 17th in the last 19 games in the Border Battle.
It took a bit for the Badgers to find a groove without their senior leader, Max Klesmit, the starting point guard who was sidelined with a foot injury. But when the offense caught fire, it did so with force.
Senior forward Steven Crowl led the Badgers’ offense, who scored 18 points, going 6-7 from the field, 2-2 from three, with five rebounds and three assists. Crowl, who after a rough patch, is averaging 16.6 points in the last five games and has re-emerged as a central piece in Wisconsin’s offense.
“He was a grown man,” Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said after the game. “I’m just happy for Steve because he’s been committed to this thing for a long time and has worked extremely hard. I always say an aggressive Steve is a good Steve, and (we) gotta keep that going.”
Wisconsin also received heavy contributions from guards John Tonje, who scored seven of his 16 points at the free-throw line, and Kamari McGee, who scored 15 points. McGee filled in beautifully for the injured Klesmit, shooting 5-10 from the field, 3-4 from three, while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out two assists and grabbing three steals.
Wisconsin’s first half troubles came in their inability to contain Minnesota guard Dawson Garcia. His hot hand guided Minnesota to early leads of eight and 10 points before the Badgers settled in. Wisconsin took its first lead at the 7:59 mark of the first half, when a Tonje three-pointer made it 18-17. The Badgers and Gophers traded baskets until halftime, when the rivals went into the break with Wisconsin leading a slim 30-29 ball game.
But the rest of the game belonged to Wisconsin, who shot 57.7 percent in a dominant second half. After Minnesota took a 31-30 lead, the Badgers went on a tear, outscoring the Gophers 40-12 over a 14:05 time period.
With their victory, Wisconsin moves to 13-3 on the season, (3-2 Big Ten) and have placed their three-game December skid squarely in the rear-view mirror.
