(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men’s basketball team suffered its first setback of the season, falling to Michigan, 67-64, on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
Badgers coach Greg Gard talked about some of the late possessions that didn’t go well.
Gard also also talked about getting Max Klesmit get out of his shooting slump. Klesmit was 1-for-9 on 3-pointers including a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer.
John Tonje led the Badgers (8-1, 0-1 Big Ten) in scoring for the sixth time this season with 18 points. The graduate student has now scored in double figures in all nine games this season.
John Blackwell had a standout individual performance, tallying 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Kamari McGee once again made a strong impact off the bench, recording a plus-minus of +10, the lone Badger in the plus column.
The Badgers got out to a hot 17-8 start, thanks in part to an emphatic Tonje slam off a turnover.
Bucky used the momentum to come alive on defense before the break, holding Michigan (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) to zero field goals across the period’s final eight minutes. The Badgers used an 11-2 run – forcing a Michigan timeout – before taking a six-point lead into the half.
The sides went back-and-forth out of the half, with Michigan reclaiming the lead. Blackwell put an end to their streak, sparking a 6-0 personal run that included put-back layups on consecutive possessions. His four offensive rebounds mark a new career-high.
The game came down to the wire, as Michigan used a 6-0 run in the last two minutes to carve out a three-point lead.
UW’s three-point heave at the buzzer rattled off the back iron, as the Wolverines ultimately bested the Badgers.
One problem the Badgers had was defending against Michigan’s big inside game. Nolan Winter talked about the struggles vs. Michigan’s bigs.
Blackwell agreed that they have to be better inside defensively.
Winter said that defensively, they struggled with high ball screen and pick and roll.
Blackwell said not to worry though because this team will bounce back.
Up Next:
Wisconsin faces in-state rival No. 5 Marquette on Saturday in Milwaukee.
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