Wisconsin 64, Iowa 52: Last word

February 22, 2023
|In Badgers
|By Zach Heilprin

Wisconsin locked up a potent Iowa offense to earn a 64-52 win on Wednesday night at the Kohl Center.

Player of the Game: Connor Essegian

After going 0-for-10 from the field and 0-for-7 from beyond the arc on Saturday against Rutgers, Essegian had a bounce back game of sorts. He finished with a team-high 17 points, though he shot just 38.5%. Still, considering how offensively challenged Wisconsin can be at times, his aggressiveness was needed. He also added five rebounds and was 5-for-7 from the free throw line.

The good: Tyler Wahl

In what has become a very difficult season for the senior, Wahl showed early the type of player he has been for much of his career. He made his first four shots and did so with strong takes to the basket. It certainly helped that Iowa doesn’t have much size, something Wahl took advantage of in the first meeting with 21 points. He was also a force on the glass, corralling a season-high 14 rebounds, while helping hold Iowa star Kris Murray to just five points on 2-for-10 shooting.

The not so good: Sloppy first half

Wisconsin came into the game leading the nation in fewest turnovers at 8.7 per game. The Badgers proceeded to turn it over eight times in the first half, including five in the first 4:32. Iowa scored seven points off those and took a 10-4 lead early. But Wisconsin settled in, eventually, finishing with 11 for the game.

Stats of the Game:

52.1 — That is what Wisconsin shot in the game, its second-best mark this season.

7-0 — That is what the Badgers record is when shooting better than 50% this year.

52 — That is how many points Iowa scored, its second-fewest this season. It was also 28 points below the team’s season average.

10.7 — That was Iowa’s shooting percentage from the 3-point line. The Hawkeyes went 3-for-28 and are now 6-for-52 in their last two games.

In Case You Missed It

— The general attendance at the game was not great due to the weather in Madison that closed schools Wednesday and Thursday. It led Wisconsin to giving out free tickets to students and then inviting people sitting in the 200 and 300 sections down to the 100 level to fill things out.

— Wisconsin has struggled mightily around the basket this year but not on Wednesday. The Badgers were 13-for-14 at the rim and hit 21 of their 30 shots inside the 3-point line.

— Steven Crowl was forced to watch much of the first half from the bench due to foul trouble, including a questionable charge. It didn’t get much better after the break, as he would end up playing a season-low 13 minutes. Still, he was able to give the Badgers some energy with a quick six points in the second half, including a pair of dunks.

— The win was just the fifth double-digit victory of the season for the Badgers and their first since Dec. 30.

– The victory gave the Badgers a season sweep of Iowa, their first since 2018-19. Wisconsin also beaten the Hawkeyes three straight times for the first time since beating them six straight between 2013 and 2016.

What’s next?

Wisconsin (16-11, 8-9) will travel to Michigan (15-12, 9-7) to face the Wolverines on Sunday.