SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Kobe King scored just six points in his second-career start, as the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team fell to No. 20 Saint Mary’s 65-63 in overtime.
Up one in overtime, King committed a turnover with 1:19 remaining that led to an SMU layup, the lead, which Wisconsin never got back.
King, a La Crosse, Wis., native, scored six points, going 1-for-2 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line. He added four rebounds and an assist but also had four turnovers.
The Badgers, who play Eastern Illinois on Friday, got out to a well enough start, up 17-9. The Gaels answered with a 21-3 run and never trailed again, except for a brief period in overtime.
Aleem Ford tied the game with 52 seconds left in regulation but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, after SMU had two chances to win it — one rejected by Nate Reuvers.
Down 64-63 in overtime with under a minute to go, the Reuvers missed a go-ahead jumper.
SMU ran the clock down to six seconds, missed a jumper but got the offensive rebound and hit 1 of 2 free throws to go up two with 4.4 seconds left.
After that second miss, Ford got the rebound and lauched a deep 3-pointer for the win at the buzzer.
The Badgers shot 42.3 percent from the field to the Gaels’ 39.3%.
Saint Mary’s outrebounded Wisconsin 36-28, including 13-7 on the offensive end.
D’Metrik Trice, Wisconsin’s top-returning scorer, finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting. He missed his only field goal attempt in the first half. His first basket was a 3-pointer early in the second half.
Trice rimmed out a wide-open 3-pointer with Wisconsin trailing 54-52 with 1:37 remaining but did put Wisconsin up 63-60 with a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left in OT.
TOP PHOTO: Kobe King (23) shoots a free-throw for the Wisconsin (PHOTO: @BadgerMBB on Twitter)