Badgers unable to overcome absence of Wahl
MADISON – After his basketball team concluded its final practice before hosting 13th-ranked Michigan State, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard was asked what injured starter Tyler Wahl had given the team this season.
“Man, what hasn’t he given us,” Gard responded.
Everything.
And a sell-out crowd at the Kohl Center saw Friday night just how much Wahl means to the eighth-ranked Badgers.
With Wahl out because of an ankle injury suffered three days earlier, the Badgers gave one of the worst overall performances of the season and were beaten soundly by the Spartans, 86-74.
“Obviously, he is important to us,” Gard said after the loss when asked about Wahl, who was injured late in the victory Tuesday at Northwestern. “But we have to have other guys step up, specifically defensively.”
The Badgers (15-3, 6-2 Big Ten) saw their winning streak end at seven games and missed a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the league. Illinois, (13-5, 6-2), playing without Kofi Cockburn (concussion), suffered an 8165 loss earlier Friday at Maryland.
That allowed Michigan State (15-3, 6-1), which recorded its first Big Ten victory against a team a winning record in league play, to move into sole possession of first place.
“That was a big win for us,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “No question.”
Although the Badgers’ game at Nebraska has been pushed back from Tuesday to Thursday, which gives Wahl more time to get healty, it is unclear when he will return.
The loss of Wahl was critical because the junior had averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game during the seven-game winning streak and is UW’s most versatile defender.
Sophomore Ben Carlson (1.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg) replaced Wahl in the starting lineup and finished with six points and two rebounds in 22-plus minutes.
With Wahl watching from the bench and wearing a protective boot on his right foot and Johnny Davis struggling to get open shots early, UW had little hope.
Davis, averaging 24.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in league games, hit 3 of 13 shots in the opening half when UW fell behind by 16 points. He finished 8 of 20 and contributed 25 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Brad Davison hit 6 of 10 three-pointers and 8 of 12 shots overall and added 22 points.
“We said contain the two superstars,” Izzo said, referring to Davis and Davison. “I’m not sure we did.
“But Davison made some tough threes and I thought we made Davis work for everything. He is just a great player.”
Steven Crowl added nine points and four rebounds but freshmen point guards Chucky Hepburn and Lorne Bowman combined for only nine points and five assists. They were generally outplayed by their counterparts — Tyson Walker (12 points, two assists) and A.J. Hoggard (12 points, eight assists and four rebounds).
Michigan State, playing for the first time since suffering a two-point home loss to Northwestern on Saturday, dominated UW after falling into the 8-0 hole.
The Spartans shot 58.6% in building the 16-point halftime lead and finished at 50.0% from three-point range (6 of 12) and 52.7% overall (29 of 55). They led the game for 32:23.
Malik Hall (10 points), Marcus Bingham Jr. (nine points) and Max Christie (eight points) combined for 27 points in the opening half, on 11-for-13 shooting, to help the Spartans build the big lead.
The Badgers missed 22 of their final 28 shots in the first half to finish 9 of 33, a frigid 27.3%. They shot better after halftime – 17 of 28 for 60.7% – but couldn’t get enough stops to overcome the 16-point deficit.
Ultimately, the inability to get stops scuttled UW’s comeback chances.
“We’d guard for 25 seconds and give up an offensive rebound,” Gard said. “Guard for 25 seconds and then foul. Guard for 25 seconds, get them to miss and then go down on the other end and take an ill-advised shot and then we’re right back scrambling for our life in transition and having to guard again.”