Wisconsin Basketball: Wisconsin falls to Indiana 63-45
By Joey Lovell
Wisconsin’s matchup on Saturday
against Indiana featured two teams that had both been on losing streaks. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, Indiana ended theirs today in emphatic fashion, beating the Badgers 63-45.
Indiana employed a stifling defense, holding Wisconsin to shooting 32.1% from the field and 20.8% from long distance. Wisconsin also didn’t help itself out from the charity stripe, as they only hit 4 of 11 foul shots.
Returning to his native state for the first time as a Badger, Connor Essegian led Wisconsin in scoring, tallying 14 points on 4-13 shooting, 3-7 from 3-point land. He also led the team in rebounding with 11 boards.
The first half began with a virtual lid on the bucket as Indiana had a slim lead of 21-20 going into the locker room. That lid remained in place for the Badgers, as it took them almost a full 5 minutes to score their first points in the second half. Unfortunately, Indiana poured 12 points in during that time frame and effectively put the game out of reach.
Wisconsin’s woes in the battle of the boards continued as Indiana out-rebounded them 42-32. Indiana’s MVP Trayce Jackson-Davis continued to prove why he’s one of the most dominant big men in the nation, posting a stat line of 18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks.
Wisconsin’s own leader, Tyler Wahl, missed his third consecutive game, all of which have been Badger losses. He has made some progress in rehabbing his ankle and Greg Gard and the coaching staff are hopeful he’ll be back for their next game.
That game has Penn State, fresh off of their 85-66 demolition of Indiana, coming to the Kohl Center on Tuesday, 1/17. Tipoff is at 8:30 (EST) and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.