Wisconsin took on Ohio State in Round 1 of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday, falling to the Buckeyes 65-57. The loss is a massive blow to the team’s National Tournament hopes and they’ll have to pray their resume from earlier this season can get them in the dance.
Ohio State was red-hot in the first half, making 68.4 percent of their shots from the field and going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. On the opposite side, Wisconsin shot just over 30 percent and failed to make a three-pointer (0-for-7). As these numbers would suggest, the Buckeyes carried a 36-18 lead into halftime.
Although Tyler Wahl was able to score 17 of his 19 overall points in the second half, Wisconsin was never within one possession down the stretch. The senior forward gave it all in what could be his final game in a Badger uniform, but the first half by Ohio State was too much to overcome.
In the game, Chucky Hepburn (six points), Max Klesmit (two points), Steven Crowl (eight points) and Connor Essegian (11 points) struggled with their shot, going a combined 9-for-34 from the field (26.4%).
For the Buckeyes, Bruce Thornton (15 points), Justice Sueing (16 points) and Sean McNeil (17 points) led the way, combing to shoot 17-for-28 in the contest (60.7%).
Now staring at a second consecutive season without a win in the Big Ten Tournament, this year, the Badgers don’t have the luxury of having won the regular season conference title, nor do they have a top-tier player like Johnny Davis.
Waiting for their potential postseason destination just became a longer shot for Wisconsin and it this point their distant win over Marquette in December may not be enough to get them over the hump and into March Madness.
Overall, the 17-14 Wisconsin Badgers have left much to be desired on the court this season and Greg Gard and his squad look likely to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second time in five seasons.
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