Following a discouraging second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini, Greg Gard’s Wisconsin Badgers (13-8, 5-6) conquered Chris Holtmann’s Ohio State Buckeyes (11-11, 3-8), 65-60, Feb. 2 in Columbus.
In a 2022-2023 campaign defined by inconsistency, untimely injuries and monumental shifts in the rotation, the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team could not afford to suffer its fourth consecutive loss. Ohio State, which dropped seven of its eight previous contests prior to its primetime showdown vs. Wisconsin, certainly aimed to rebound in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Schottenstein Center.
Donning its golden pinstriped uniform promoting equality and unity to kick-start Black History Month, the Badgers simply dominated the opening 20 minutes of regulation. Gard’s group scored eight unanswered points to open the match, courtesy of a slip cut and corner three from Connor Essegian and Max Klesmit’s transition snipe.
OSU would respond with an 8-0 spurt of its own, but Wisconsin’s starting five did not relinquish its lead afterwards. Steven Crowl absolutely obliterated any isolation matchups in the opening frame. Whether it be Isaac Likekele, Zed Key or Felix Okpara assigned to Crowl, UW’s 7-footer mimicked 2001 Shaquille O’Neal to begin the evening. His 11 early tallies on a perfect 5-5 clip from the field propelled the Badgers to a seven-point edge with just under nine minutes before break.
Even without Crowl’s paint presence, UW excelled in its half-court sets. Playing to its traditional strengths, the Badgers meticulously lulled the Buckeyes into double-teaming Wahl and Crowl on the low block, enabling both Chucky Hepburn and Essegian to fire from deep or pump fake and attack. The two backcourt mates would combine for 19 of Wisconsin’s final 20 points in the first period, and notwithstanding a 22-9 deficient in rebounding, the red and white secured 13 tallies off OSU’s 11 first half giveaways.
Regardless of the on-court struggles, Ohio State’s most demoralizing moment arrived from the sidelines. With just 27 ticks to spare before intermission, Tyler Wahl baited Buckeyes forward Justice Sueing into an offensive foul on the left block. Holtmann did his best rendition of Bobby Knight in ‘85 — his irate reaction and obvious disagreement warranted back-to-back technical fouls and an ejection. Associate head coach Jake Diebler served as a substitute for the remainder of the contest, but Holtmann’s removal objectively deflated the atmosphere on Ohio State’s bench and in the stadium.
Backed by 37 combined points from Essegian, Hepburn and Crowl, Wisconsin held a 16-point advantage at halftime, 43-27.
The Badgers continued to display offensive poise to open the closing period. Whenever Ohio State hinted at orchestrating a scoring run, Wisconsin’s starters would immediately respond with an efficient, timely bucket to quiet an anticipatory home crowd.
On one series, Key executed on a potent jump hook to cut UW’s edge to 10, but Wahl returned the favor by shedding his defender, Sueing, with a nifty behind-the-back dribble and right-handed layup near the cylinder.
With just 7:21 remaining on the game clock, Wisconsin boasted a 15-point edge and essentially controlled its own destiny. With OSU’s leading scorer and anchor, Brice Sensabaugh, disqualified because of foul trouble, UW appeared comfortable and prepared to pack it in for the return journey to Madison.
As if on cue, the Badgers hit a turbulent scoring patch. The red and white failed to make a field goal for the final 7:18 of regulation, allowing Ohio State to chalk up 13 unanswered points in roughly 5:30 of action. If not for a pair of careless turnovers from OSU’s Likekele, the Buckeyes would sit at 12-10 in a densely concentrated Big Ten.
Wisconsin would ultimately capitalize on three straight Hepburn looks from the charity stripe to conclude the match, and when the final buzzer sounded, Wisconsin secured its first victory in over two weeks, 65-60.
In the end, the contest revolved around what Ohio State failed to capitalize on. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Badgers, 45-26, but committed 20 personal fouls and turned it over 16 total times. These giveaways, coupled with Holtmann’s absence, plagued OSU during crunch time. Again, UW could not rely on any bonafide late-game closer to seal the deal. Sure, Wisconsin added to the win column, but the team’s inability to perform in the face of adversity ushers in a cause for concern during the final month of the regular season.
For Wisconsin, Essegian accounted for a game-high 17 points in 35 minutes of action while Hepburn poured in five field goals and dished out three helpers. Crowl scored 14 points and corralled nine rebounds while his teammate, Klesmit, reached double-figures for the sixth time this season.
On the opposite side, Sensabaugh, quelled by foul trouble, notched 13 points in just 16 minutes on the hardwood. Key canned five looks for 12 points and snatched nine Wisconsin misfires, and the versatile Sueing seized a game-leading 11 boards in 31 minutes for Ohio State’s second unit.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin returns to the Kohl Center for its second swing against Chris Collins’ Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday, Feb. 5.
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