No. 8 Wisconsin got all they could handle and then some from Indiana on Thursday night at the Kohl Center. The Hoosiers brought energy from the opening tip, and erased a five-point halftime deficit to go up six with just under six minutes remaining.
The after hours D’Mitrik Trice show ultimately lifted the Badgers to an 80-73 double overtime win that was anything but routine.
Indiana brought early energy, both on the floor and on their bench. Similarly to Wisconsin’s loss against Maryland, it felt like the Hoosier bench was up and active, cheering, and the louder of the two sidelines at the Kohl Center. Without second-leading scorer Armaan Franklin, everybody knew the basketball would be in Trayce Jackson-Davis’s hands even more, and he brought his best.
16 second-half points for Jackson-Davis flipped the game on its head, as he walked all over Wisconsin bigs Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers on the interior. With the Badgers down six and under six minutes left, Wisconsin clamped down on defense and got themselves to the free throw line to get back in it. From then on, it was D’Mitrik Trice’s world, we were just living in it. Combining for 11 points on 4-5 shooting in the last two minutes of regulation and the overtimes, Wisconsin’s point guard looked like a superstar.
After Trice tied the game with a floater in regulation, Jackson-Davis had the chance to win it for Indiana. His left-handed layup rolled off the rim and the two Big Ten foes headed to overtime.
The first overtime was nearly a replay of regulation. With the Badgers down a deuce and just 21 seconds remaining, Trice tied the game with a jumper and the Hoosiers had the final chance. Hounding defense from Brad Davison and Wisconsin forced a second overtime.
After not playing the final 6:38 of regulation and overtime likely due to defensive struggles and an altercation on Wisconsin’s bench, Potter re-entered in the second overtime and the Badgers went on a 6-0 run to close the game out. Potter’s re-entry at that moment didn’t spark the run, but it was when the difference making plays came from Tyler Wahl. Wahl hit consecutive threes to give the Badgers a seven point lead that they would never let go of in the second extra session.
It wasn’t the smoothest of rides, but in the end the Badgers got to their destination. On Trice’s night, he lead Wisconsin with 21 points, a majority of which came late into the evening. The Badgers improved to 10-2 and 4-1 in the Big Ten, while the Hoosiers dropped to 7-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten.