Badgers' Offense Stalls in Loss to Ohio State
The No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers, riding high on a two-game win streak after toppling No.
10 Illinois and No. 15 Michigan State, hit a roadblock against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday night.
The Badgers fell 86-69, struggling to find their rhythm on the offensive end.
Shooting woes plagued Wisconsin as they connected on just 27% of their shots from beyond the arc (7-26) and managed only 50% from the charity stripe (8-16). It was a stark contrast to the Buckeyes, who were on fire, shooting 52% from three-point land and hitting 68% of their free throws. Devin Royal and Bruce Thornton were pivotal, combining for a whopping 52 points and keeping the Buckeyes' offense rolling.
Senior Nick Boyd, who had been a consistent scoring force with six straight games of 20 or more points, saw his streak snapped, finishing with 14 points alongside junior John Blackwell. However, senior Braeden Carrington shone brightly for the Badgers, putting up 20 points and contributing defensively with two blocks and two steals.
The game started closely contested, with Wisconsin hanging tough for the first seven minutes. But turnovers and missed opportunities allowed Ohio State to surge ahead, building a 22-10 lead with 13:31 left in the first half.
The Badgers battled back to trim the deficit to six, making it 28-22 with just over four minutes before the break. Yet, the Buckeyes responded with an 8-0 run, heading into halftime up 38-26.
The second half saw both teams exchanging baskets, but Wisconsin couldn't close the gap. Ohio State's defense and relentless shooting extended their lead to 47-31 with 16:06 remaining.
The Buckeyes continued to pour it on, reaching an 18-point advantage after a three-pointer from Royal with 12:41 left. Thornton's late bucket pushed Ohio State to their largest lead of the night, 83-63, before sealing the win at 86-69.
As the Badgers aim to regroup, they look forward to returning home to face Iowa on Sunday, hoping to reignite their winning ways.