RECAP: Wisconsin men’s basketball holds on against Ohio State

Feb 3, 2023 - 4:05 PM

WOW! What a game.

On a three-game losing streak, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team barely hung on after a rough last 7 minutes of the game, where the team couldn’t hit a field goal.

That road win feels great for the Badgers! It’s the first road win since December 11th, snapping four straight road losses, while also snapping their three-game losing streak.

The Badgers now push their record to 13-8 following the 65-60 victory over Ohio State.

It was a close one, as the Badgers had a 16-point lead at the half, however, the second-half ending was a different story, as the game almost turned into a loss.

With 7 minutes and 18 seconds left, the Badgers went without a bucket for the remainder of the game while up 62-47, and Ohio State went on a 13-point run, cutting the lead to 62-60.

While the Badgers were scoreless, guard Chucky Hepburn hit two clutch free throws with 24 seconds left in the game, giving the Badgers a 64-60 lead. He would later hit the final free throw of the game.

The Badgers were lucky to have taken a big lead early in the game or they would have lost the way they shot the ball down the stretch.

It was a tale of two halves for the Badgers.

In the first half, they scored 45 points on 51.6% shooting, and in the second half, they scored just 20 points, while shooting around 36% from the field.

The Badgers missed their final 9 attempts prior to Hepburn’s key free throws to seal the game, illustrating their offensive woes down the stretch.

The Badgers, once again, made that win hard on themselves, but, most importantly, they got a win.

It was a feel-good win, lead by freshman guard Connor Essegian’s 17 points.

Chucky Hepburn was second in scoring with 14, followed by Steven Crowl’s 14, and Max Klesmit’s 12.

Now, let’s continue playing basketball like the first half against Northwestern at home and not make it as difficult to win a game.