Wisconsin Basketball: Nigel Hayes, Ethan Happ Propel Badgers to Overtime Win over Indiana

The Wisconsin basketball took down Indiana in an overtime thriller

Led by 31 points from Nigel Hayes and 25 more from Ethan Happ, the Wisconsin basketball team earned an 82-79 overtime win over the No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers Tuesday night, extending a home winning streak over the Hoosiers to 13 games, a streak that dates back to 1998.

The Badgers endured a 30-point performance by Hoosiers point guard Yogi Ferrell, who was reinforced by 16 points from center Thomas Bryant and 15 points from forward Troy Williams.

The Badgers, meanwhile, saw career nights out of Happ and Jordan Hill, who scored 13 points of the bench and didn’t miss a shot from the field, going 5-for-5 from the field and hitting both his three-point attempts. Hill’s performance was much-needed, as Bronson Koenig struggled mightily after hitting a three to open the scoring for the Badgers.

Wisconsin Badgers /

Wisconsin Badgers

Koenig finished the game with four points, three turnovers and three fouls, and didn’t record an assist, a rebound or a steal in the contest.

It was the duo of Hayes and Happ who carried the Badgers throughout, and the Badgers hit enough free throws down the line to secure the victory. Happ added eight rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks to his 25 points, while Hayes was 17-22 from the free throw line on the way to his 31 points, including a perfect stretch of 12 straight free throws to close out the game.

Wisconsin (12-9 overall) improved to 4-4 in Big Ten play, and assembled their first three-game winning streak in the process. The Badgers also halted a 12-game winning streak for Indiana, who came into the game 17-3 on the season and a perfect 7-0 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers and Hoosiers battled through a turnover-filled first half on the way to a close score at the break. It was a battle between Ferrell and Hayes as Indiana’s point guard led all scorers with 13 points at the break, followed closely by Hayes’ 12.

Happ and Bryant had their own battle going on in the post, as Happ scored 11 points and added 3 rebounds in the first 20 minutes, while Bryant scored 8 points, adding four rebounds and a pair of blocks.