In a game of runs, it was the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) 11-point run to end the game that made the difference in a 62-59 victory over No. 15 Michigan State (10-3, 2-1 Big Ten). The win extended the Badgers’ home winning streak to a nation’s-best 38 games and pushed their overall winning streak against the Spartans to six games.
With 8:30 left in the game, Wisconsin owned a narrow 51-50 lead before going scoreless for the next six minutes and 33 seconds as Michigan State built a 59-51 advantage with just 1:57 left in the game. The Badgers then went on their 11-0 run to pull off the victory in front of 17,142 very vocal supporters at the Kohl Center.
“They responded very well,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said of his Badgers after the game. “They made plays. It seemed like everything that happened resulted in a positive for us, pretty much.”
What happened down the stretch will go down in Badger lore as one of the most thrilling comebacks in recent memory. Trailing by eight points and seemingly out of the game, Sharif Chambliss gave Wisconsin some hope, hitting the last of his four 3-point field goals. After MSU guard Chris Hill missed the front end of a one-and-one, the Badgers were able to clear the boards.
Paul Davis fouled Mike Wilkinson as he drove to the hoop. Wilkinson made both free throws, and the lead was trimmed to 56-59. The Spartans again missed the front end of a one-and-one. This time it was Davis who couldn’t hit from the charity stripe, and the Badgers again came away with the rebound. Wilkinson tried to take the team on his shoulders and was fouled as he drove to the hoop on the other end of the floor. Again, he calmly stepped up and made both free throws to cut the lead to 59-58 with just over 1:14 left in the game.
“I wanted to be there,” Wilkinson said of his free throws down the stretch. “I just remember wanting the ball on offense, and I got a couple open lanes to the basket and I got fouled.”
While Wilkinson had scored the last of his 12 points, his impact on the end of the game was far from over. First he forced Davis into missing a 12-foot jumper, and then he set up what turned out to be the game-winning play.
With just over 30 seconds remaining, Wilkinson took a pass from Kammron Taylor and handed it right back to the guard as Taylor drove to the basket for the go-ahead lay-up.
“We came into the huddle and our coach told us that the lane was open,” Taylor said. “[Coach Ryan] told me to set up the play where we hit the high post and then I cut off of Mike (Wilkinson), and he hit me with the hand-off and it worked.”
Michigan State’s Alan Anderson tried to drive to the basket, but was met by Wilkinson and Zach Morley, who forced Anderson into a difficult shot. Morley was able to come down with the rebound, and Anderson was forced to foul. Morley’s two free throws pushed the Badgers’ lead to three. A 3-point attempt by Shannon Brown rolled around the rim before falling harmlessly to the floor as time expired.
“I’m disappointed in the loss,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said. “I was proud of the way we prepared. I felt great about the way we came into the game.”
Certainly, the final two minutes aside, Michigan State looked to be in control of the game. Much of that was due to the play of Davis, who scored a game-high 20 points. Davis continually got post position down low and was able to use a myriad of moves to help the Spartans dominate the game inside.
However, every time Davis and company seemed to pull away from the Badgers, Clayton Hanson or Chambliss stepped up and hit a big 3-pointer to keep it close. Hanson, who led Wisconsin in scoring, dropped in 15 points, all on shots from beyond the arc. Chambliss, who hit four long-range shots, finished with 14 points.
“Down the stretch, we gave up some 3’s, and I give Chambliss some credit for making them, and Hanson,” Izzo said. “That was the difference in the game.”
Wisconsin came out of the blocks quick, maintaining a lead throughout much of the first half until Michigan State finally took its first lead with 7:53 left in the half. The Spartans would hang on for much of the final seven minutes to head to the half with a 32-28 lead.
Michigan State was able to control the pace at the start of the second half as well, holding on to the lead until the 8:30 mark, when Wisconsin briefly took a 51-50 lead. However, the Spartans went on a 9-0 run that would set them up with the largest lead of the game for either team, right before the Badgers’ improbable comeback.
