The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (15-7, 9-6 Big Ten) lost a 12-point halftime lead in Sunday’s loss to the No. 3 ranked Michigan Wolverines (14-1, 9-1 Big Ten).
Michigan forward Isaiah Livers came up huge for the Wolverines — sinking a 3-pointer to give Michigan a 59-57 lead with just 2:45 left to play in the game. Livers finished the game with 20 points and collected seven rebounds.
Michigan outscored Wisconsin 11-2 over the final four minutes of the game. The Wolverines also scored the final eight points of the game including four points from the free-throw line to finish off the Badgers 67-59.
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Before the late surge from Michigan, Wisconsin controlled the entire game right from the jump. Forward Aleem Ford got Wisconsin going with 11 points early in the first half. Ford finished with the game with 15 points and two rebounds.
D’Mitrik Trice also had an efficient outing to complement the play of Aleem Ford. Trice finished with 16 points and three assists.
The Bench production was another reason for Badger fans to be optimistic. Freshman Jonathan Davis scored 11 points while shooting 5-for-8 from the field. Micah Potter finished with nine points on nine shots. Despite not scoring, Trevor Anderson still led the team in assists with four and collected three boards.
Wisconsin shot the ball 53.8% from the floor in the first half and took a 12-point lead into halftime. But, the second half was one to forget for the Badgers and featured cold shooting from all spots on the floor.
The Badgers shot the ball just 25% on 28 attempts in the second half. Wisconsin only converted seven field goals that resulted in 20 second-half points. Wisconsin also missed their final 11 shots from long distance.
Once again, the Badgers struggled to control the paint against a top team in the Big Ten. Both Badger big men Nathan Reuvers and Micah Potter combined for zero rebounds in the game. The Badger guards led the team in rebounding. Brad Davison managed six rebounds, and Trice collected five rebounds in the game.
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This loss marks the fourth loss in a row for Wisconsin against ranked opponents. Four of Wisconsin’s final five opponents are currently ranked.
The immediate road ahead does not get any easier for the Badgers. Wisconsin will return to the Kohl Center to take on No. 15 Iowa (15-6, 9-5 Big Ten) on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. airing on ESPN3.
