Happ has 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 0 turnovers
MADISON, Wis. — Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ filled up the boxscore, while Bronson Koenig provided a second-half boost to ignite the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team.
The 11th-ranked Badgers played like an NCAA tournament berth was on the line, as it pulled away from No. 23 Maryland in a foul-plagued 71-60 win at the Kohl Center.
Happ had 20 points (7-for-11 from the field), seven rebounds, five steals, three assists, two blocks and no turnovers. Hayes had 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks
The Badgers were down 33-27 at halftime. Koenig scored all nine of his points in the second half. He came in and nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game 36-36 and hit a jumper on the next possession to give them the lead. Wisconsin never gave it back.
WKTY poll: Who was the biggest reason for the #Wisconsin #Badgers win over #Maryland? @BadgerMBB
— 580 WKTY (@wkty) February 20, 2017
“Those guys just dominated,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said about forwards Hayes and Happ. “We couldn’t guard them heads-up. We couldn’t guard them in a double-team.”
The Badgers led by as many as 12 points with 3 minutes remaining in the game.
The Badgers (22-5, 11-3) overcame 27 points from Terrapins guard Melo Trimble to snap a two-game losing streak and stay in a tie atop the Big Ten standings with Purdue.
Welcome to our Top 5 Plays, Brevin Pritzl. ? https://t.co/65rYHsVjIK
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 19, 2017
After consecutive losses to Northwestern and Michigan – teams looking to pad their resumes just to get into the NCAAs – Wisconsin took the court with the mindset of a bubble team trying to prove a point.
“I would definitely say `Yes,’ that’s kind of why we dropped the last two,” Hayes said when asked if his team was playing with a sense of urgency.
Northwestern and Michigan “were fighting for their tournament lives, trying to build a resume,” Hayes said. “We finally have that sense of urgency on our own end.
But they did draw whistles in a physical game at the loud, rowdy Kohl Center. The game lacked flow because of frequent foul calls. The schools combined for 48 fouls, 25 for Maryland (22-5, 10-4).
“Extremely physical. We’ll be running the training room out of ice after the game,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said.
Greg Gard improved to 37-13 as #Badgers head coach. Only HOFer Doc Meanwell had a better 50-game record at UW (49-1, 1911-14). pic.twitter.com/SFtMxXPibd
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 19, 2017
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: Shooting lagged over the previous six games, a stretch when Koenig has been hurt. He’s the team’s best outside shooter. After missing his first three shots in the first half, Koenig went 4 of 8 from the field in the second. A productive Koenig gives Wisconsin the balance needed to go with the dangerous Happ in the post. Koenig played 31 minutes off the bench.
Wisconsin said Koenig was a game-time decision, and Gard said the team prepared on Saturday as if he was not going to play.
STAT LINES
Freshman Brevin Pritzl added seven points and seven rebounds, giving Wisconsin an energy boost off the bench. Another freshman, D’Mitrik Trice, was active starting his second straight game for Koenig, with seven points in 19 minutes. … After Trimble, Michal Cekovsky was the only other Maryland player in double figures with 10 points.
QUOTABLE
“We didn’t fade away. We went strong through people … When we do, it makes us really good.” — Gard about the team’s aggressiveness, especially in the lane. Wisconsin had a 22-10 edge in the second half on points in the paint.