Wisconsin will look to keep alive its hopes of securing a double bye in the Big Ten Conference tournament when the 12th-ranked Badgers host Penn State in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin (23-7, 13-6) surged past a 55-53 deficit over the final seven minutes for a 74-67 victory at Minnesota on Wednesday. John Blackwell had 25 points and 11 rebounds and John Tonje added 18 points as the Badgers bounced back from a 71-62 loss at then-No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday.
“It’s obviously an important game for us, first and foremost, for what we’re still chasing,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said following the Minnesota game.
The Badgers are tied for third place in the conference with Maryland and Purdue but need help to be one of the top four seeds, including a Purdue loss at Illinois on Friday. The top four teams will earn the double bye and spots in the quarterfinals.
Penn State (15-15, 5-14) lost at home to then-No. 16 Maryland 68-64 on Saturday, eliminating the Nittany Lions from the 15-team Big Ten Conference tournament in the league’s first season with 18 teams.
“Yeah, it stinks,” Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said after the Maryland game about not making the tournament. “It stinks, but it’s reality.”
Wisconsin won at Minnesota on Wednesday despite the absence of starting guard Max Klesmit, who missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. His status for the Penn State game has not been determined.
Wisconsin averages 81 points and gives up 70.4. Dating to last season, the Badgers are 33-1 when holding opponents to 70 points or less, including 16-1 this season.
The Badgers limited Minnesota to 41.3 percent shooting and have held nine of the last 11 opponents below 45 percent from the floor. They are 8-3 during that stretch.
Tonje averages a team-best 19.1 points and is shooting 91.8 percent from the free-throw line. Blackwell averages 15.5 points. Seven-footers Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter combine for 19 points and 11 rebounds per game.
The Badgers lead the nation in free-throw percentage at 83.4 and have made more free throws (499 of 598) than opponents have attempted (352 of 492). Wisconsin hit 21 of 24 from the line against Minnesota.
The Nittany Lions, who have dropped nine of their last 11 games, average 78.9 points while allowing 73.2.
Ace Baldwin Jr. leads a balanced attack with 14.2 points per game. Yanic Konan Niederhauser averages 12.8 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds, and Nick Kern adds 11.5 points and 5 boards. Zach Hicks contributes 11.5 points per game and leads with 71 3-pointers, hitting 40.6 percent beyond the arc.
“We have one week left as a team, as this group together,” Rhoades said. “Let’s have a week where we are about the right stuff, be great teammates and go on the road and play a really good Wisconsin team and see what happens. This is what we signed up for. You got to respond the right way, no matter what.”
The Nittany Lions won the lone meeting last season, 87-83, at home, snapping Wisconsin’s five-game winning streak in the series.
–Field Level Media
