Hoosiers Bludgeoned at Wisconsin

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

    The #21 Excel H Sports Ranked Wisconsin Badgers dominated the Indiana Hoosiers 76-64 Tuesday Night at the Kohl Center in Madison. Indiana is 1-21 all time at the Kohl Center with their only win coming on January 25, 1998, 69-59. Indiana falls to 40-47 all-time in Madison and still leads the all-time series 99-81.

   Wisconsin improves to 12-1 at home this season and 18-5 overall along with an 8-4 in Big Ten play. The Badgers led from start to finish and buried 12 three pointers in the game. Wisconsin led 40-28 at halftime and both teams scored 36 points in the second half, but Indiana was never in the game down 8-0 at the start and 19-2 with 15:40 left in the first half. Wisconsin had a 22-point lead at 12:38 mark 26-4.

   Indiana cut the lead to 11 points as Luke Goode drained a three 55 seconds into the second half to trail 42-31 but the Badgers kept control extending the lead to 21 points with 9:15 left in the game trailing 61-39 and got no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

   Wisconsin put four in double figures with John Tonje leading the way 15 points, Max Klesmit adding 13, Nolan Winter scoring 12 and Carter Gilmore adding 10 off the bench. Wisconsin went 26-60 from the field for 43%, 12-29 from three-point range for 41% and 12-17 from the free throw line for 70%.

   The Badgers committed 6 turnovers, pulled down 36 rebounds, dished out 13 assists, 8 steals and 3 blocks. Wisconsin is two games back of the leaders Purdue and they are positioning themselves for a top four seed and the double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in March.

   Indiana is 14-9 overall and 5-7 in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers have lost four in a row and six of the last seven games. Six of Indiana’s Nine losses this season have been by double digits. It doesn’t get any easier as the Michigan Wolverines come to town on Saturday Afternoon for a 1 PM matchup with the Hoosiers.

   Mackenize Mgbako led the Hoosiers with 15 points, Luke Goode scored 11 off the bench and Myles Rice added 10 points. Oumar Ballo was held to 4 points and 6 rebounds. Indiana finished 20-57 from the field for 40%, 7-27 from three-point range 26% and 11-15 for 73%.  Indiana pulled down 36 rebounds, dished out 9 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and committed 11 turnovers.

   The Hoosiers are sitting in 11th place in the Big Ten Standings as the top 15 advance to the Big Ten Tournament leaving the bottom three out. The Hoosiers have a tough road ahead with Michigan, UCLA, Purdue, Penn State and Ohio State coming to Bloomington and traveling to Michigan State, Washington and Oregon as the opportunities are there to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive but if they keep trending in the wrong direction the Hoosiers could miss the Big Ten Tournament and that would send the fan base that is already on edge to the brink if the unthinkable were to happen.