The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team lost during a chance to defend their home turf. The visiting Rutgers Scarlet Knights won the game 58-57 in regulation to improve to 17-10. The Badgers dropped to 15-11 as they will face Iowa on February 22nd in the Kohl Center. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 92-75 victory over Ohio State and play Northwestern away on February 19th.
Wisconsin Badgers Face Off Against Rutgers Scarlet Knights
In a game where the box scores look identical, the result came down to specific performances. The Badgers picked up for Connor Essegian, who went 0-10 from the field, including 0-7 from three. Essegian finished with two points from free throw attempts, one steal, and two rebounds. Jordan Davis and Max Klesmit led the scoring with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Tyler Wahl also added six assists and six points to the cause.
During the first half of the game, Rutgers moved the ball extremely well and found open space for their shots. The spacing in particular caused the Wisconsin Badgers to move around and defend shots from bad angles. Rutgers moved quickly in transition as well and lost the Badgers on multiple plays to get open looks. The Badgers responded with shots of their own and Jordan Davis nailed two threes.
Wisconsin ended the first half down two, 36-34, before resuming play. The second half, however, was a different story as the tone of the game changed. Each team began pushing the ball inside and forcing interior shots. Each team also struggled to make shots as it turned into a physical, defense match up. The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team tried to slow the tempo after Rutgers pushed the ball and the result was long range shots. The Badgers took 32 total shots in the second half and 22 came from three.
Wisconsin fell flat in the second half, only making seven shots and three free throws. The Badgers out-scored Rutgers 23-22 in the second half, but ultimately lost the game 58-57. On the final possession of the game, Wisconsin had multiple chances to win but ultimately could not make the shot. Connor Essegian air balled the final three point attempt to end the game, but the freshman should keep his head high despite the performance.
The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team will face Iowa, Michigan, and #3 Purdue in their next three games. The game against Minnesota on March 5th will be the regular season finale before the Big Ten Conference tournament. With a 7-9 conference record, each game will be important for the Badgers down the stretch.
For more:
Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Check out 97.3 The Game on iHeart Radio!
