La Crosse native leads Badgers in scoring with 16 points
MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s leading scorer was at it again.
La Crosse native Bronson Koenig scored 16 points – 10 consecutive in a key run that turned the game around – in leading the No. 17 Badgers to a 68-64 nail-biter against Michigan on Tuesday night.
Wisconsin (15-3, 4-1) was up 26-21 at halftime, as Koenig had just three points.
Early in the second, the Wolverines (12-7, 2-4) went on a 7-0 run that ballooned into a 17-2 run in taking a 38-30 lead with 12:40 to play.
Under 5 minutes later on the game clock, Wisconsin had it tied again, 43-43.
Michigan, however, wouldn’t go away, pushing the lead back to 49-43 before Koenig went to work.
First, the senior boarded a Zak Showalter blocked shot and went coast-to-coast. Then he tied the game 49-49 on another layup, before nailing 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and Wisconsin never looked back.
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The Badgers’ lead grew to 60-51 and they hit enough free throws down the stretch to hold onto the win.
Koenig finished 5-for-10 from the field – 3-for-5 from deep – to go with four rebounds, a steal and two turnovers.
Wisconsin shot 24-for-53 from the floor and 6 of 16 from beyond the arc. Michigan, led by Zak Irvin’s 20 points, finished 22-for-51 from the field.
Nigel Hayes and Vitto Brown each scored 13 points for the Badgers.
The Badgers travel to Minnesota on Saturday.