The No. 11 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (6-0 Big Ten, 16-2 overall) squeezed out a tight win over the Michigan Wolverines, 64-61 Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers shot the ball extremely well all game, finishing 52 percent from the field. Wisconsin led by 10 points with about seven minutes remaining in the half. However, Michigan refused to give in and cut the deficit to 28-24 going into the break.
In the second half, Michigan played tough down the stretch because of its dominant lead over Wisconsin on the offensive boards and second chance points. With just under a minute remaining, the Wolverines trailed 59-58 with the ball and a chance to take the lead. But senior guard Michael Flowers had a crucial steal and junior forward Marcus Landry sunk a clutch three pointer with 23 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Junior forward Joe Krabbenhoft was very pleased with the way his team performed in such close circumstances.
“Those are the type of games throughout a season that you’re going to have to win,” Krabbenhoft said. “Michigan played their hearts out and a lot of credit has got to be given to them for giving us a great challenge, and that’s something we’re going to learn from. A couple of shots didn’t go our way, but we kept our composure. If you want to get to that next level, these are the games you’re going to have to win in the Big Ten, and I’m just glad we came out on top tonight.”
The Badgers pulled off the victory despite 26 points from standout Michigan freshman guard and leading scorer Manny Harris. Wisconsin defenders had no answer for Harris all night, but the big difference was their effectiveness in covering Michigan’s other big scoring weapon, sophomore forward DeShawn Sims. Sims made just four of 19 from the field.
Still, first-year Michigan coach John Beilein was pleased with his team, especially after their 70-54 loss to the Badgers in Ann Arbor earlier this month.
“I think there were four or five runs that Wisconsin made, and this game could have gotten ugly quick, but we fought back every time and answered,” Beilein said. “I am proud of our guys. That is the little victory we got tonight, not getting down when things didn’t go our way.”
The Badgers leading scorers were Flowers and Landry, who registered 14 points apiece. Flowers had trouble stopping Harris’s explosiveness, but head coach Bo Ryan was impressed with his effort late in the second half.
“He’s a tough competitor,” Ryan said. “Things weren’t going that well. He probably felt in his mind defensively that he still needed to make a big play. Make a good play without fouling and he did—that was huge.”
Ryan also gave credit to some Badgers who didn’t fill up the stat sheet. Krabbenhoft had only five points and five rebounds, but made some excellent passes in the paint and hit a clutch shot with just two minutes left in the game.
“I’m glad he’s on our side,” Ryan said. “When he committed that year, that was the guy we wanted. Just the way he plays, the kind of young man he is, how hard he plays and what he brings all the time. He didn’t just start doing that when he got to college.”
This Saturday, the Badgers will travel to Purdue to take on the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Tip off is set for 3 p.m.
