Wisconsin used a stifling defense and just enough offense to get by Dayton 43-42 on Wednesday in its first game of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Player of the Game: Steven Crowl

The big man continues to struggle shooting the ball, but he did a little bit of everything to help Wisconsin get across the finish line with a win. He scored nine points, including seven in the second half. He had five rebounds after the break as well, two of which came on the offensive end that ended up resulting in a pair of made free throws. The junior also had four assists, while helping limit Dayton to 20 points in the paint.

The good: The defense

When you score 43 points you better be good at the other end of the floor and Wisconsin was. It held the Flyers to just 14 points in the first half on 6-for-29 shooting. That included going just 2-for-16 from beyond the arc. Dayton found some more success in the second half but it was Wisconsin’s defense that closed the game out highlighted by a block by Max Klesmit in the final seconds.

The not so good: The offense

Wisconsin made just one field goal in the final 10:39 of the game and shot 22.7% from the field overall. It was their lowest shooting percentage in a win since at least the 1994-95 season. The Badgers starters combined to go 7-for-41 and were outscored by the bench for the first time this year. For the season, Wisconsin is now shooting just 35.4% from the field.

Stat of the Game: 24

That is how many points the Badgers got from their bench. The biggest contributor was Connor Essegian, who played just 19 minutes. The true freshman had 13 points, including 11 in the first half. Markus Ilver came off the bench to knock home a couple huge 3-pointers in the second, while Isaac Lindsey had five points and an assist.

Best Video

Klutch Klesmit ❌@maxkle2 x #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/aEiFFEIpJp

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 23, 2022

In Case You Missed It

— Wisconsin is now 3-0 in its opener as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis. It’s first two trips ended in the title game with a win in 2014 and a loss in 2018.

— Teams are now shooting 12.5% against the Badgers from beyond the arc after Dayton went 4-for-27. It’s by far the top mark in the country.

What’s next?

Wisconsin (4-0) will take on No. 3 Kansas (5-0) in the semifinals Thursday at 10 a.m.