(24) Wisconsin 63, Northwestern 48: Last word

March 5, 2020
|In Badgers
|By Zach Heilprin

MADISON — No. 24 Wisconsin used a stifling second-half defense and just enough offense to beat Northwestern 63-48 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center. It was the Badgers seventh-straight win, it moved them into a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten and it left them one win away from at least a share of their first conference title since 2015.

Player of the Game: Brad Davison

The junior guard did a little bit of everything for Wisconsin, scoring nine points, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out a pair of assists. He was also a part of a defensive effort that held the Wildcats to a season-low 31.5-percent shooting night.

The good: Productive Senior Day

Wisconsin won for a 17th time in its last 19 Senior Day’s and did so with the help of two of the honorees. Brevin Pritzl hit his first two 3-pointers and finished with nine points and six rebounds.

When he exited in the final minute, redshirt junior Michael Ballard replaced him. The Badgers got him the ball and he drove to the basket and put up a circus shot for the first made field goal of his career.

Wisconsin also honored Rashard Griffith. The former All-Big Ten center returned to school a couple years ago to finish his degree after nearly 20 years playing overseas. He will graduate in May.

The not so good: A win is a win

They don’t count style points when determining the winner of the Big Ten. So it’s irrelevant how the Badgers got the win over the Wildcats. Would it have been nice to not see them shoot under 40-percent for a second-straight game? Yep. Was seeing them let Northwestern back into the game after leading by 17 in the first half less than ideal? Sure. But a win is a win and with one more Wisconsin will be able to call itself a Big Ten champion.

Stat of the Game: 100

That’s how many wins coach Greg Gard has in his Wisconsin career after Wednesday night. He’s tied for fifth all-time in school history for wins and is the second-fastest to reach 100, trailing only his predecessor, Bo Ryan.

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Davison on what it means to be in the position they are, one win away from a Big Ten title:

“It’s a blessing for so many reasons. Going back to the summer, going through the season, just how our team stuck together and came together. And now we have an opportunity to play for the Big Ten regular season title. That’s why you come to school at Wisconsin. That’s why we all wanted to put the “W” on our chest. To have these sorts of opportunities.

“With what we’ve been through, it just makes you appreciate the moment, appreciate the opportunity and appreciate the relationships with your teammates and your coaching staff. It’s something we’re really looking forward to and it’s something we don’t take for granted. That’s kind of the biggest thing we’ve learned over this, you don’t take anything for granted, especially a moment and an opportunity like this.

“Like I said, this is why you come to Wisconsin. To compete for championships in the Big Ten and the national tournament. We’ve put ourselves in a position to do that and now we just (have to) go out there and take it.”

In Case You Missed It

— Wisconsin wore its throwback uniforms from the 2000 Final Four team once again. The Badgers are now 5-0 when wearing them.

— Former Badgers and current Cleveland Browns linebacker Joe Schobert made a return to Madison and took in the game.

— With the win, Wisconsin clinched a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament next week in Indianapolis. The Badgers could be anywhere from the No. 1 seed to the No. 4 seed based on what happens the next few days.

— Davison had a message for the Kohl Center crowd after the game

What’s next?

Wisconsin (20-10, 13-6) will travel to Indiana (19-11, 9-10) on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams.