(24) Wisconsin holds on to beat Ohio State for 6th-straight win, gives Greg Gard 200th victory
Wisconsin withstood a rugged comeback effort from Ohio State on Tuesday night to get its sixth-straight win with a 70-68 victory at the Kohl Center.
The 24th-ranked Badgers owned the first half, jumping out to a 37-20 lead on the backs of their success at the free throw line (13-for-14), Ohio State’s cold shooting and 19 points combined from Steven Crowl and John Blackwell. But it was a different story in the second half, as Wisconsin struggled to defend without fouling, turned the ball over six times and didn’t make a shot in the final 4:17. That allowed the Buckeyes to chip away, getting to within one multiple times in the final minute before the Badgers prevailed.
John Tonje led the way for Wisconsin, scoring a team-high 17 points and grabbing four rebounds. He scored nine of the Badgers final 12 points and went 10-for-10 from the line. Blackwell struggled after a hot start, scoring just five points in the second half to finish with 15 points and six rebounds. Crowl was also in double-digits with 14 points and seven rebounds.
While Wisconsin’s scoring output was its lowest in a win this year, the Badgers continued to dominate at the free throw line. That’s where they outscored the Buckeyes 25-13 and upped their season average to a nation-best 85.4-percent.
The win pushed Wisconsin to 14-3 on the year and 4-2 in conference play. Greg Gard’s club will now hit the road to face USC on Saturday and UCLA next Tuesday.