Wisconsin Badgers bench only had nine points in total in team’s 68-76 loss to Maryland Terrapins but head coach Greg Gard thinks the entire unit did well as relievers for starters who got in foul trouble.
The team, which has been performing well lately save for UCLA defeat, lost to their hosts who coming in to the game was already favored by analysts.
It did not help the Badgers that their first half has to be saddled by foul troubles to top scorers John Tonje and John Blackwell. Good thing for them, the bench was there for them, especially on the defensive side.
Carter Gilmore scored just two points in 17 minutes but he also had five rebounds. Kamari McGee scored nine points with two rebounds, and one assist in 23 minutes.
With Blackwell sitting on the bench in the first 20 minutes, Badgers still managed to keep it close 31-32 before they went to the locker room.
“That was part of the whole sequence of the game, you can’t have two of your better players sitting on the bench more than normal in the first half,” Gard said after the game.
“I thought our bench did a good job and we were able to hold it with Blackwell and Tonje sitting there, we were still down one at the half.”
The problem, however, is they slipped in the second half, 37-44.
Greg Gard laments bad 2nd half start
The game was still for anybody’s taking come the second half. Badgers even made a run and stole the lead at 17:53 mark.
They built their highest lead at five with 11 minutes remaining, 48-43.
However, the second 10 minutes of the second half was a disaster for them. They allowed the opponents to make an 11-0 run and they never got their composure back.
The Terrapins built their largest lead of 11 at the 2:44 mark and time has become the Badgers main enemy. from there.
Gard thought his team allowed Maryland to have momentum.
“I didn’t think we started the second half real well. We gave them confidence and momentum early … The stretch where it got away from us, we had three or four possessions in a row where we missed pretty easy looks and they were able to answer.”
The Badgers will have chance to go back to winning ways when they meet the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday.
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