The University of Wisconsin (20-5, 11-4) won their second game of the season against Indiana University (16-7, 7-8) and added yet another impressive road win to their resume Tuesday night — an especially important victory for UW after a disappointing loss to Rutgers at the Kohl Center last Saturday.
The Badgers closed out the game strong in a raucous Assembly Hall against Indiana, thanks in part to Johnny Davis’ 13 consecutive points with under four minutes to go. The standout sophomore guard totaled 30 points on 10 of 15 shooting with 12 rebounds in UW’s 74-69 win.
In what was a close game throughout, both teams leaned on their stars. For Indiana, Trayce Jackson-Davis matched UW’s Davis with 30 points of his own. It was enough to give IU a 66-61 lead with 3:52 remaining in the game.
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That is when Johnny Davis took over. After getting to the line to even up the game, the next time up the court Davis drove through a crowded lane and finished the layup for the lead.
It was not a lone effort by Davis, however, as the rest of the starting lineup made big contributions to the win. Senior Brad Davison scored 21 points with three 3-pointers. Freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn scored eight points without recording a turnover in his 38 minutes of action. For a young guard starting in the Big Ten, Hepburn’s performance was extremely impressive in a hostile environment.
Hepburn was not the only starter playing heavy minutes Tuesday evening, with four of the five playing 33 minutes or more — 38 each for Davis and Hepburn. Chris Vogt got into foul trouble, giving Steven Crowl even more time on the court. Greg Gard did not get many minutes out of his bench, a sign of both the trust in his starting unit and lack thereof for his role players, who combined for two — yes, just two — points against the Hoosiers.
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Aside from the lack of depth that was on full display, there are some very positive takeaways from the win in Bloomington for UW. Davison’s performance is encouraging considering his cold shooting as of late, as he’s one player vital to the team’s success. The Badgers also proved their resiliency, bouncing back from a disappointing loss at home to have a gutsy performance on the road against a good conference opponent. It was another showcase of UW’s ability to win in close games, which will prove to be an important trait come March.
The win keeps the Badgers tied for second place in the Big Ten with Purdue, a half-game behind Illinois. With three of their last five games at home, including a rematch with top-five Purdue, UW is in a position to finish the season strong. The Badgers play Michigan (13-10, 7-6) for the first time this season at the Kohl Center Feb. 20.
