Defense: B
In order for Wisconsin to complete the comeback against Indiana, the Badgers were going to need to start to get defensive stops and try to prevent Indiana from generating second chances.
The Badgers certainly met that goal as the Hoosiers finished the game 1-for-9 after taking a seven-point lead with 6:52 to play. To make matters worst for Indiana after going up nine points with 10:04 to go the next made field goal by the Hoosiers didn’t come until there were 55-seconds remaining in the game when Aljami Durham hit a three to make it 56-54.
The Badgers defensive performance over the last 10 minutes of the game was impressive when you consider the Badgers were dealing with foul trouble as Potter, Reuvers, and Ford all finished the game with four fouls.
With the Badgers having to be careful how they defended the paint became more open as the Hoosiers finished the game with 22 points around the rim as 16 of those points came in the second half.
With Indiana getting high percentage shots in addition to getting to the free throw line made it important that the Badgers were sound defensively.
Indiana didn’t do Wisconsin’s defense any favors by being careless with the basketball. After committing six first half turnovers the Hoosiers only committed one during the second half.
The lone turnover by Indiana came by Durham with 5:36 to go as Potter was able to come up with a critical steal. It was fitting then that thanks to Potter’s steal that he would cash the mistake into Badger points as he was able to hit a jumper in the paint while being fouled and was able to complete the 3-point play to tie it at 51.
From there Wisconsin’s defense was able to do the rest as they held the Hoosiers to only one more made field goal and limited the Hoosiers to just one offensive rebound.
Indiana up to that point was able to consistently clean up their misses as they finished the second half with nine offensive rebounds, which they turned into 11-second chance points. Overall Indiana outrebounded Wisconsin 38-to-34.