(23) Wisconsin 87, Iowa 78: Last word

January 6, 2022
|In Badgers
|By Zach Heilprin

MADISON — No. 23 Wisconsin snapped a four-game losing streak to Iowa with an 87-78 win featuring another big night from Johnny Davis.

Player of the Game: Johnny Davis

Three days after dropping 37 points and 14 rebounds on No. 3 Purdue, the Badgers superstar had 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists against the Hawkeyes. He did much of his damage in the first half, scoring 19 points in 19 minutes to help Wisconsin to a 13-point lead at the break. The sophomore put a capper on his big night by scoring four points and dishing out an assist as the Badgers pushed their lead from 13 to 22 with 7:41 left.

It was the sixth straight game that Davis topped 20 points, the longest streak by a Wisconsin player since Alando Tucker did it seven straight times in 2007. Over his last two games, Davis is averaging 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 54.8% from the field.

The good: Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl

Iowa didn’t double Wahl or Steven Crowl in the post because coach Fran McCaffery said they were worried about Wisconsin’s 3-point shooters. Both guys made them pay, but especially Wahl. He finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end. Wahl was almost a guaranteed bucket when he got near the rim, shooting 6-for-7.

Wahl also had to deal with Iowa star Keegan Murray on the other end of the court, a tough task for anyone. Murray finished with a game-high 27 points but Wahl was a pest most of the night.

“He did a great job of making (Murray’s) baskets difficult and really making it a challenge for him to see the ball go through the hoop,” guard Brad Davison said. Offensively we know (Wahl) is one of the best low post scores out there. So whenever we can get him down there with the ball, we know it’s an advantage for us.

“He had a great game. Keep them coming.”

Crowl went 6-for-8 and scored 12 points.

The not so good: The bench scoring

Wisconsin’s starters scored 83 of the team’s 87 points as all five guys were in double figures. Carter Gilmore and Jacohbi Neath each had two points off the bench. The four points were the fewest in a game this season.

The Badgers did get other contributions from those guys, though, including an important four rebounds from Neath. He also delivered a perfect alley-oop to Davis for a monster slam.

What They Said:

“This this group has been terrific. I can’t even get mad at them. They just give me everything they’ve got dang near every day. They haven’t had a bad day. Maybe a snippet of a bad day, but they quickly corrected it, and like I said they just love to compete and love to wear that uniform.”

— Greg Gard on the fight his team shows on a nightly basis

Stat of the Game: 43

That’s how many rebounds Wisconsin came down with, 17 more than Iowa. It included 15 offensive rebounds that resulted in 18 second-chance points for the Badgers.

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In Case You Missed It

— Wisconsin wore its alternate uniforms for the second time this season. They were designed by the players.

— With Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis and Iowa’s Keegan Murray playing, UW said there were 18 NBA scouts in attendance. The normal number is 2-4 per game.

— Wisconsin snapped its four-game losing streak to Iowa with the win.

— The Badgers moved into a tie for third place in the Big Ten with the win. Only Michigan State and Illinois are still unbeaten.

What’s next?

Wisconsin (12-2, 3-1) will travel to face Maryland (8-6, 0-3) on Sunday night.