Following a persistent second-half surge and victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions, Greg Gard’s Wisconsin Badgers (12-6, 4-4) fell to Chris Collins’ Northwestern Wildcats (13-5, 4-3) 66-63 Jan. 23 in Evanston, Illinois.
Prior to Monday’s tip, the Badgers boasted a 17-4 record in their previous 21 contests against the Wildcats, including seven consecutive victories from February 2018 to January 2022. With a reputation consisting of stout defensive play, dependability down the stretch and an emphasis on protecting the rock, the red and white appeared poised to secure their second straight win against a Big Ten opponent.
Northwestern’s Boo Buie and Chase Audige certainly exploited this scheme in front of their home crowd at the Welsh-Ryan arena. Despite in-game ankle injuries to Ty Berry and Julian Roper II, the two members of Northwestern’s star-studded backcourt accounted for over 50% of the team’s scoring output and 18 of the 34 total second-half tallies.
From the jump, Northwestern concentrated its defensive focus on both Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl in the low post. Whenever Chucky Hepburn, Jordan Davis or Connor Essegian fed an entry pass to the two paint threats, Northwestern would immediately respond with a double-team, forcing a kick-out pass to the perimeter.
Jordan Davis, a beneficiary of this strategy, executed a pair of dive cuts and an open look from outside during the first five minutes of regulation. Before Tuesday’s action, the junior notched just four combined points in three straight contests, so his early contributions against the Wildcats ushered a welcome sigh of relief for the Badger faithful.
Northwestern mainly operated through isolation jumpers and transition buckets. After a media timeout, the Wildcats capitalized on two Wahl turnovers and orchestrated a 7-0 scoring surge, stretching the score to 16-9. Wisconsin promptly responded with a quick 5-0 spurt, but Northwestern cashed in on three jumpers to re-establish an eight-point lead, 22-14.
Despite a few strong efforts from UW’s Hepburn and Carter Gilmore, the Wildcats maintained a sizable advantage throughout the closing portion of the first frame. Boo Buie and junior Matthew Nicholson attacked the Badger interior and contorted in the lane, baiting Wisconsin to foul on each attempt. The two reached the charity stripe eight times within the final 4:45 before the break and propelled the purple and white to a six-point advantage at intermission, 32-26.
It’s safe to say Gard’s halftime advice was powerful. The Badgers immediately fed Wahl on the right block for a swift jump hook and found their two sharpshooters, Essegian and Hepburn, outside, morphing a six-tally deficit into a two-point advantage.
For the following 17 minutes, neither squad pulled away by more than four points. Wisconsin’s entire starting five alternated blows with Northwestern’s Buie and Audige until the final buzzer, and whenever UW made an error on defense or failed to execute from the charity stripe, the Wildcats exploited the red and white’s missteps. For example, on three consecutive offensive possessions for NU, Buie or Audige called for a switch and took Carter Gilmore to the rack for a layup or free throws.
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In uncharacteristic fashion, the Badgers simply appeared flat during the final stretch. Each attempt arrived from deep and with a contest. Hepburn, notorious for his Kobe-esque shot-making ability late, missed on three jumpers within the final two minutes of play.
Wisconsin also misfired on six total free throws in the second half compared to an impressive 8-9 mark for Northwestern. In a tight conference game without many superstar-caliber players, these looks could bridge the gap between a victory and a loss.
Ultimately, the Wildcats pressured the Badgers into a 3-point barrage. UW attempted 31 total shots from behind the arc, nearly eight more than its season average. In denying Steven Crowl quality looks from the painted area, Wisconsin also relied heavily on Davis, Hepburn and Essegian to drill open shots from distance. In the end, as opposed to focusing on the typical inside-out offensive blueprint, the Wildcats pestered Gard and company to bank on an outside-in approach.
When the final buzzer sounded, Northwestern secured its first victory against the Badgers in nearly five years, 66-63.
“It was just kind of a war of attrition for both teams,” said Northwestern head coach Chris Collins postgame. “Both teams showed a lot of grit and heart. It wasn’t the prettiest at times.”
For Wisconsin, Jordan Davis notched a career-high 15 points in 38 minutes on the hardwood while Chucky Hepburn poured in four field goals for 12 tallies. Steven Crowl snatched nine rebounds, and Essegian recorded 10 points in his second straight start.
On the opposite side, Boo Buie drilled seven field goals for a game-high 20 points and dished out five dimes. His teammate Chase Audige accounted for 16 points off 40% efficiency from the charity stripe, and Brooks Barnhizer scored nine for NU’s second unit.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin ventures to College Park for another conference showdown against the Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
