The Wisconsin Badgers failed to capitalize on their recent momentum Sunday, getting easily handled by the Minnesota Golden Gophers 88-53 Sunday in a disappointing performance.
After upsetting No. 24 Nebraska just a few days ago, the Badgers had a chance to extend their win streak to three games. But in falling flat, Wisconsin continues to highlight their inconsistencies.
The Badgers were mired in disaster from the start on Sunday. Wisconsin, per usual, began the game in a full court press. However, the Gophers easily broke the press, roaring to an 8-0 lead.
The Gophers worked the ball for easy shots and found their offense humming. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s offense was troubled. Minnesota’s inside presence forced the Badgers to take
difficult shots. Poor shot selection kept Wisconsin at 26.7 percent from the field and the Badgers fell behind 24-12 by the end of the quarter.
Wisconsin's struggles persisted in the second quarter. With poor man marking on defense, Wisconsin continued to make self-inflicted mistakes that buried them deeper into a hole. Minnesota found no problem working the inside and kicking it out to the perimeter for open shots.
Offensively, Wisconsin moved the ball better but still failed to capitalize in the end, as they went 30.8% from the field during the third quarter and trailed 44-24 at the half.
After a disappointing first half, the Badgers began the second half with a fire. Senior guard Destiny Howell started taking over, and Wisconsin’s offense quickly became a threat. With Howell able to score 13 points in the first eight minutes of the quarter, the Badgers got within ten points of Minnesota. With Wisconsin finally putting some pieces together, a comeback seemed possible.
However, the final two minutes of the third quarter derailed any progress Wisconsin had made. Wisconsin’s intensity suddenly waned, and the Gophers went on a 10-0 run to end the quarter, taking a 66-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin’s offense went stale once again in the fourth quarter as the Badgers committed six turnovers and shot just 20% from the field.
Defensively, Wisconsin continued their full court press, but the Gophers stayed calm and passed around the aggressive press. With Wisconsin scoring just seven points in the fourth quarter, the Gophers easily won the game 88-53.
The Badgers dropped to 2-5 in road contests with the loss.
After a positive week that included wins over Oregon and Nebraska, Wisconsin was not able to build on their recent success. Instead, they fell disappointingly to one of their fiercest rivals. The Badgers will now look ahead to playing No. 12 Ohio State on Thursday as they try to rebound after this inexcusable loss.
