Badgers force tie with Michigan, drop point in shootout
By Eric Shor | Feb. 14, 2016The Wisconsin Badgers tied the Michigan Wolverines 4-4 in a back-and-forth battle Saturday night at the Kohl Center.
The Wisconsin Badgers tied the Michigan Wolverines 4-4 in a back-and-forth battle Saturday night at the Kohl Center.
Nicole Bauman is ready to return home. After scoring 10 points in the Wisconsin Badgers’ (3-11 Big Ten, 7-17 overall) loss to the Michigan Wolverines Thursday evening, Bauman struggled yet again Sunday afternoon, scoring just eight points in their 67-57 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers (9-5, 17-9). Bauman hit her last basket as time expired in the first quarter and, while the Badgers did not necessarily miss Bauman’s offensive production in the second period, they struggled in the second half, getting outscored by 16 points over the game’s final 20 minutes. For the third-straight game the Badgers went into the break with a lead, but yet again were unable to close the deal. While the Badgers and Hoosiers were tied at 16 after the first period, Wisconsin opened a lead in the second period, holding Indiana to just seven points.
It was a special atmosphere at LaBahn Arena Sunday, as the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers (24-1-1 WCHA, 30-1-1 overall) paid respect to the eight seniors on the squad who played their last regular season game at LaBahn.
In the Big Ten season opener almost a month and a half ago, the Badgers (3-10 Big Ten, 7-16 overall) hosted Indiana (8-5, 16-9) and earned their first win of the conference season, 73-69.
Wisconsin (3-1) took care of business Saturday, beating Nevada 3-2 and Portland State 13-5 in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
Every time the Maryland Terrapins made a run and got within striking distance Saturday night, Wisconsin seemed to have an answer. As a result, the Badgers picked up their seventh win in a row and the biggest boost yet to their blossoming NCAA Tournament résumé. Wisconsin (8-4 Big Ten, 16-9 overall) upended No. 2 Maryland (10-3, 22-4) 70-57 on the road, snapping the Terrapins’ 27-game home winning streak and handing them their first conference home loss as a member of the Big Ten. Junior forward Vitto Brown scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, while junior guard Bronson Koenig added 16 points and six rebounds in UW’s victory.
The No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers (23-1-1 WCHA, 29-1-1 overall) are one step closer to clinching their first WCHA conference title since 2012 after defeating Minnesota State (0-22-3, 3-24-4) 4-0 Saturday.
In a tension-filled, penalty-loaded bloodbath, the Michigan Wolverines skated past the Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 4-1 Friday night at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin split its opening-day games, beating No. 21 California 4-2 and losing to BYU 5-4 in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
Much of what head coach Paul Chryst had to say on National Signing Day Feb. 3 was difficult to conceptualize.
For two years at Syracuse University, former Orange and current Wisconsin assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Sasha Palmer spent every day studying one of the most effective and dangerous defenses in college basketball. Whether watching the Syracuse men’s team from her glass-windowed office overlooking the practice floor at the Carmelo Anthony Center, or coaching the Syracuse women down on the floor itself, Palmer was soaking in all she could learn about Syracuse’s famous 2-3 zone.
Tuesday afternoon, hours after the Wisconsin Badgers (3-11 Big Ten, 7-16 overall) knocked off the Purdue Boilermakers 64-57, Nicole Bauman seemed fatigued just thinking about the kind of effort it took for the team to record their first win since mid-January. “Coming off of a seven-game losing streak, to have that win, it shows us what level we need to play at to win,” Bauman said. Thursday night against the Michigan Wolverines, the Badgers came out with the same effort and energy they had against Purdue days earlier.
Following the departure of two all-time Wisconsin greats in Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky, the fate of the program was expected to fall squarely on the shoulders of juniors Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig.
I know I originally wrote that I was going to devote my column this week to Aaron Moesch. As interesting and entertaining as that would have been, it will have to wait for another time.
The Badgers (3-9 Big Ten, 7-15 overall), in a close, back-and-forth contest, finally found a way to win their first game in a month Monday against Purdue (7-5, 16-7). Coming off seven straight losses, the Badgers focused on controlling the little things, and their efforts ultimately propelled them to a highly energized and rare victory.
Mark Johnson, UW legend and head coach of the Wisconsin women’s hockey program (22-1-1 WCHA, 28-1-1 overall), will see a familiar face in Madison this weekend when John Harrington and his Minnesota State Mavericks (0-21-3 WCHA, 3-23-4 overall) visit LaBahn Arena.
When you’re a Division I athlete, it’s pretty rare to have even a single teammate from your high-school club team on the same college roster.
The Badgers (1-7-2 Big Ten, 6-12-6 overall) will be faced with the difficult task of slowing down the high-octane Michigan offense (8-2-2, 17-4-4) this weekend at the Kohl Center.
Powered by stellar showings from Nigel Hayes and Vitto Brown and a stellar night from 3-point range, Wisconsin downed Nebraska 72-61 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center for its sixth straight win. Brown in particular impressed, scoring a career-high 18 points, including 12 in the first half.
After a turbulent 9-9 overall start with a 1-4 conference record, it seemed like Wisconsin’s season was spiraling out of control and its streak of 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances would be spoiled.