Wisconsin was riding a five-game win streak as they welcomed USC to town. What should have probably been a sixth win for the Badgers, ended in defeat instead after they went ice cold from the field.
Wisconsin shot just 9-for-37 (24%) from three, and let a 12-point second half lead slip away. After the game, the players were visibly deflated as head coach Greg Gard took the podium.
“It’s been a while since I had a somber locker room,” said Gard after the close loss. "You have to be able to overcome rough shooting afternoons...but we clawed our way back there."
Badgers' home loss leaves a bitter taste after epic second-half collapse
The loss to USC is Wisconsin's first Quad 2 defeat on the season, and while it won't hurt their tournament chances too much, it was certainly a missed opportunity to further cement their spot in March. It was also a huge momentum killer, not because of the loss itself, but how they lost it.
Even though the shots weren't falling on offense, miscues on defense and a questionable decision to leave a timeout in his pocket by Gard at the end didn't sit well with the fans. It was a winnable game despite the shooting woes, and yet the Badgers just seemed to let off the gas a bit down the stretch.
John Blackwell has had a very up-and-down this year, and the Badgers will need him to get back on track down the stretch. It was the fourth game this season he shot under 30 percent from the field--three of them have resulted in losses. Ultimately if the shots aren't falling there's not much to be done. Gard quipped after that game that "you can't yell about shooting." The shots are either falling or their not. Tonight, they were not.