Wisconsin 64, Michigan 59: Last word

February 15, 2023
|In Badgers
|By Zach Heilprin

MADISON — Wisconsin got clutch free throw shooting and some defensive stops to hold off Michigan in a 64-59 win on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.

Player of the Game: Connor Essegian

The true freshman continues to impress in his first year in Madison. Essegian scored a career-high 23 points and did it in a variety of ways. He got free for a couple 3-pointers, made some great cuts for layups and even took some guys off the dribble for finishes at the rim. Most importantly, though, he connected at the free throw line, going 9-for-10, including 5-for-6 in the final 44 seconds to keep Wisconsin in front.

The good: The win

The Badgers were desperate to get a win after blowing a 17-point second-half lead at Nebraska on Saturday. With their NCAA Tournament chances very much in doubt, Wisconsin couldn’t afford another slip up, especially at home against another team fighting for a at-large bid. It wasn’t pretty but they all count the same when you’re in the Badgers position.

The not so good: The last 10:45 on offense

Two weeks ago, Wisconsin went without scoring a field goal in the final 7:12 against Ohio State only to hold on and win 65-60. The Badgers upped the difficulty on Tuesday, going the last 10:45 without hitting a single one of the last 15 shots they took. Some of those looks were wide open, including a couple for Essegian and one for Chucky Hepburn, along with a number around the rim that didn’t fall.

So, how did they hold on? Well, they went 12-for-14 from the free throw line in the second half, limited Michigan to just two makes on its last 11 shots and watched as the Wolverines had some important misses at the line.

“Hey, you got to keep shooting them. If you like them, let them fly, if it’s in your wheelhouse and something you do well,” coach Greg Gard said. “But the most important thing is how we responded on the other end and that was the key.”

Stats of the Game:

6 — That is how many points Wisconsin got from Kamari McGee in a season-high 14 minutes. The Green Bay transfer played his best game and gave the Badgers a much needed spark with Hepburn struggling offensively.

14 — That’s how many points Wisconsin outscored Michigan by when Carter Gilmore was on the floor. The sophomore didn’t score but he provided some solid work in the post on defense and garnered praise from Gard for his work off the ball on offense.

33.3 — That was Wisconsin shooting percentage from the field. It was its lowest in a Big Ten game it won since beating Nebraska on Feb. 10, 2021 when shooting 32.3%.

12 — That is how many rebounds Steven Crowl had, tying a career-high. While he did struggle (5-for-15) from the field, he did post six assists.

0 — That is how many shots Hunter Dickinson made in the second half. The Michigan big man was 0-for-3, scoring three points after the break. He finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

15 — That is how many offensive rebounds Wisconsin had, which was a season-high.

13 — That is how many points Wisconsin scored on Michigan’s 12 turnovers. The Wolverines had just two points off of the Badgers five turnovers.

Best Tweets

A year after a post-game altercation, all eyes were on the handshake between Juwan Howard and Greg Gard

Dickinson was in the crosshairs of fans after calling Wisconsin players a bunch of scumbags. He then walked into the Kohl Center wearing a ski mask, telling reporters they were going to steal a win. As you can imagine, the tweets after the game focused on the junior.

In Case You Missed It

— It was a tough night for Hepburn, going just 1-for-9 from the floor and scoring two points, but he had a huge steal with the Badgers up four with 16 seconds left that essentially sealed the game.

— While there was no post-game issues this time around, Howard did manage to earn a technical foul after losing his cool midway through the second half.

— Wisconsin introduced 2023 commit Gus Yalden during a timeout in the second half.

What’s next?

Wisconsin (15-10, 7-8) will host Rutgers (16-10, 8-7) on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights have lost two straight.