In a close match against in-state rival Marquette (6-3-0), the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (6-2-0) clinched an 80-77 win in overtime Dec. 3.
With seven seconds to spare prior to halftime, UW sophomore Chucky Hepburn canned a step back 3-pointer near the Marquette logo, his fourth look from deep of the half.
The long-range snipe ballooned Wisconsin’s lead to 11 and Gard’s Badgers appeared poised to extinguish Shaka Smart’s group following their 26-point beatdown against Baylor Tuesday night.
Throughout the first half, UW mimicked one of Pat Riley’s showtime squads of the mid-80s. Wisconsin registered a stellar 16-23 split off 10 total assists, out-rebounded Marquette 14-5 and received offensive contributions from six different Badgers, including Kamari McGee’s first five points of the season.
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Unlike the first 20 minutes of regulation, this year’s I-94 rivalry showdown culminated with a game-clinching layup in overtime.
Just five ticks into the second half, Hepburn called for a substitute and immediately headed for the UW locker room. An apparent lower body injury quelled the Badger guard for roughly 13 minutes of play. Despite a quick 5-0 Wisconsin run following halftime, the Golden Eagles clawed back. When Hepburn returned with 6:56 to spare, UW led by just three, 64-61.
Connor Essegian, UW’s bucket-getting true freshman, accounted for 12 points in the second half. Supplying shades of Detroit Pistons legend Vinnie Johnson, he quieted the Fiserv faithful with four “throw-your-hands-up-in-
Jones, who dropped a career-high 20 points versus Baylor on Tuesday, erupted for 17 points in the second half alone Saturday.
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The cardinal and white delivered a number of blows in crunch time, including another dagger from Hepburn. But whenever Wisconsin seemed ready to pull away, Jones and big-man Oso Ighodaro packed a counterpunch.
With 22 seconds remaining, Golden Eagles guard Tyler Kolek spoon-fed a nifty pocket pass to Ighodaro for a one-handed jam, knotting the contest at 70-all.
Even with Hepburn’s heroic capabilities from deep, he couldn’t cash in on an outside attempt with time winding down in regulation. In fitting fashion, the battle would continue into overtime.
Tyler Wahl, UW’s do-it-all forward, opened scoring up with a nifty finish inside. On the following possession, Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper knocked down back-to-back looks from the charity stripe, reestablishing an even score.
Jordan Davis, who clanked a 3-pointer off the side of the backboard just a couple minutes earlier, nailed a three from the right wing, elevating Wisconsin 75-72. On UW’s next possession, Wahl connected on another layup and 96 seconds separated the Badgers from win number six.
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Similar to regulation, Smart’s squad rallied when it mattered most. Prosper hit back-to-back free throws and set an excellent screen on Max Klesmit, freeing teammate Kam Jones for an outside jumper to tie the I-94 rivalry at 77 apiece.
Following a 30-second timeout from Greg Gard, Hepburn drove hard baseline and found Klesmit on a dive cut to the rim. The scrappy guard collected and finished through contact, ultimately securing the road victory for Wisconsin.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin returns to the Kohl Center for an inter-conference battle against No. 22 Maryland Tuesday, Dec. 6.
