Wisconsin was blown out 81-52 by the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center during senior night on Sunday. Senior guard Destiny Howell tallied 44% of Wisconsin’s total offense, scoring 23 points. The Badgers’ offensive woes were on full display in the second half, preventing them from getting one last win in front of Badger fans this season.
Neither team could find their rhythm in the first quarter. On defense, Wisconsin protected the paint well, forcing the Hawkeyes to shoot jump shots throughout the quarter. Offensively, the Badgers struggled to knock down their shots. Iowa did a good job forcing Wisconsin into contested shots, with the Badgers failing to effectively move the ball. This allowed the Hawkeyes to get settled offensively. Missed shots derailed any chance of Wisconsin taking advantage of Iowa’s poor first quarter.
The quarter ended in a wild fashion. The Hawkeyes had possession to close the period, and with nine seconds left, Iowa guard Chazadi Wright dished the ball to guard Teagan Mallegni, who was wide open on the wing. Mallegni, without any hesitation, drained the shot. Wisconsin quickly got the ball in play, giving it to freshman Nikki Kerstein. Kerstein heaved it from half court, swishing it to cut the deficit to three and give the Badgers some much needed momentum heading into the second quarter.
Wisconsin continued to shoot poorly in the second quarter, shooting 20% from the field. The Badgers defense, though, kept applying the pressure. Iowa struggled to drive into the paint, forced to settle for multiple mid-range shots, and only scored 14 points the whole quarter. The Kohl Center crowd was lively throughout the period, sensing the hope of an upset as Wisconsin stayed within reach of the Hawkeyes. Iowa maintained a 33-29 lead heading into halftime.
The momentum quickly shifted from there, as the Hawkeyes came storming out of the break. Iowa went 6-for-7 from behind the arc and shot 52.6% from the field, which gave them a huge offensive advantage over the Badgers. The Hawkeyes also turned their defense up a notch, as the Badgers were only able to score nine points the whole third quarter.
Wisconsin couldn’t find an open shot throughout the period. On top of that, Iowa was able to break into the paint and score efficiently. The Hawkeyes were relentless on offensive, leading 59-38 by the end of the third quarter.
Entering the final quarter, Wisconsin's hopes of pulling off an amazing win — and giving seniors a final positive memory at the Kohl Center — were slipping away. Wisconsin’s defense failed to put pressure on the Hawkeyes, which allowed Iowa to continue their scoring ways.
The Badgers seemed to have the green light to shoot the entire quarter, as they went 2-for-10 from the 3-point line. Wisconsin was looking to find a sustained run, with junior guard Kyrah Daniels hitting two early 3-pointers, but those points quickly were erased as Iowa went on a 7-0 run. The game was out of reach for the Badgers with three minutes left, which gave the opportunity for the seniors to enter the game and get their last goodbye at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin, the 15th seed in the Big Ten Tournament, has a quick turnaround to postseason play. The Badgers will play the 10th seeded Illinois Fighting Illini in the first round on March 4. Head coach Robin Pingeton and Wisconsin will look towards the tournament as a clean slate, hoping to avoid their 10th straight loss and in turn, a sour end to a season that once looked extremely promising.
