Wahl leads balanced attack as No. 21 Wisconsin trounces Nebraska 88-72
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin coach Greg Gard says having a deep team sometimes can be both a blessing and a curse because of the challenges it causes in the distribution of playing time.
It was a lot more of the former than the latter on Saturday.
Tyler Wahl scored 17 points and the 21st-ranked Badgers beat Nebraska 88-72 to snap the Cornhuskers' five-game winning streak. Wisconsin has won four straight and 10 of 11.
The Badgers never trailed while capitalizing on a 36-18 edge in bench scoring.
“We get that second group in, we get the third group in and you don't really see a dip in the numbers, or if there is, it's not too much,” Wahl said.
Wisconsin shot 55% from the floor and went 13 of 26 from beyond the arc to post its highest 3-point basket total of the season.
“When they're hitting their shots, it's one of the top teams in the country,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said.
Connor Essegian helped lead the bench production by scoring 12 points and shooting 4 of 7 from 3-point range. After scoring 11.7 points per game as a freshman last season to rank third on the team, Essegian struggled with a back injury early this season and eventually fell from the rotation.
Four days after playing just 21 seconds in an 83-72 victory over Iowa, Essegian came off the bench less than eight minutes into Saturday’s game and made an immediate impact. Gard said he brought in Essegian early because of the sophomore's improved practice performance.
“Just kind of taking the adversity that came my way - starting with the back injury and all that - and just kind of taking it head-on and going at it and taking it to heart,” Essegian said. “I feel like it's made me a better basketball player to this point, even a better person as well.”
Wisconsin's Chucky Hepburn had 13 points, John Blackwell 12 and AJ Storr 10. Keisei Tominaga had 17 points, Rienk Mast 16 and Brice Williams 10 for Nebraska (12-3, 2-2).
Nebraska's Jamarques Lawrence jammed his thumb in the first half and Williams was helped off the floor after appearing to hurt his ankle late in the game. Hoiberg had no update on Williams' status afterward.
“I thought we were a little tired in our prep the last few days,” Hoiberg said. “It's something I really challenged them on for these next two days leading to Purdue. We have to have two of our best days of the season.”
BIG PICTURE
Nebraska: The Cornhuskers shot 49.1% from the floor and 12 of 26 on 3-point attempts but still trailed by double digits throughout the last 30 minutes. Nebraska had averaged 15.5 steals over its last two games but had just four on Saturday.
Wisconsin: This is Wisconsin's second straight 3-0 start in Big Ten competition. Last year, the Badgers went 6-11 the rest of the way in the Big Ten and landed in the NIT. This year's team is deeper and seems more capable of avoiding a fade.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
A win could have enabled Nebraska to earn its first Top 25 ranking since the week of Dec. 31, 2018.
UP NEXT
Nebraska: Hosts No. 1 Purdue on Tuesday.
Wisconsin: At Ohio State on Wednesday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Brice Williams vs. Steven Crowl (Badgers gains possession) | |||
19:45 | Max Klesmit turnover (bad pass) (Jamarques Lawrence steals) | |||
19:20 | Jamarques Lawrence misses two point jump shot | |||
19:18 | Steven Crowl defensive rebound | |||
18:52 | Juwan Gary shooting foul (Tyler Wahl draws the foul) | |||
18:52 | +1 | Tyler Wahl makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 0-1 | |
18:52 | +1 | Tyler Wahl makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 0-2 | |
18:29 | Rienk Mast misses two point hook shot | |||
18:27 | Steven Crowl defensive rebound | |||
18:16 | Tyler Wahl misses two point layup | |||
18:14 | Rienk Mast defensive rebound | |||
18:07 | +2 | Keisei Tominaga makes two point jump shot | 2-2 | |
17:52 | +2 | Tyler Wahl makes two point layup | 2-4 | |
17:43 | Jamarques Lawrence turnover (bad pass) (Chucky Hepburn steals) | |||
17:35 | Chucky Hepburn turnover (lost ball) | |||
17:19 | +2 | Juwan Gary makes two point layup (Rienk Mast assists) | 4-4 | |
16:59 | +3 | AJ Storr makes three point jump shot | 4-7 | |
16:32 | Juwan Gary misses three point jump shot | |||
16:30 | Steven Crowl defensive rebound | |||
16:29 | Rienk Mast personal foul | |||
16:08 | +2 | Tyler Wahl makes two point layup (Steven Crowl assists) | 4-9 | |
15:56 | Brice Williams misses two point jump shot | |||
15:54 | AJ Storr defensive rebound | |||
15:28 | AJ Storr misses three point jump shot | |||
15:26 | Sam Hoiberg defensive rebound | |||
15:06 | Josiah Allick offensive foul | |||
15:06 | Josiah Allick turnover (offensive foul) | |||
15:06 | TV timeout | |||
14:54 | Chucky Hepburn turnover (traveling) | |||
14:42 | +3 | Keisei Tominaga makes three point jump shot | 7-9 | |
14:20 | Max Klesmit misses three point jump shot | |||
14:18 | Sam Hoiberg defensive rebound | |||
14:10 | Brice Williams misses three point jump shot | |||
14:08 | Max Klesmit defensive rebound | |||
13:56 | +3 | Chucky Hepburn makes three point jump shot | 7-12 | |
13:33 | +3 | Sam Hoiberg makes three point jump shot (Keisei Tominaga assists) | 10-12 | |
13:07 | +2 | John Blackwell makes two point jump shot (Steven Crowl assists) | 10-14 | |
12:51 | Keisei Tominaga misses three point jump shot | |||
12:49 | Steven Crowl defensive rebound | |||
12:29 | John Blackwell misses two point jump shot | |||
12:27 | Josiah Allick defensive rebound | |||
12:20 | +2 | Juwan Gary makes two point layup (Brice Williams assists) | 12-14 | |
12:05 | +2 | John Blackwell makes two point layup (Steven Crowl assists) | 12-16 | |
12:05 | Sam Hoiberg shooting foul (John Blackwell draws the foul) | |||
12:05 | +1 | John Blackwell makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 12-17 | |
11:48 | Jamarques Lawrence turnover (bad pass) (AJ Storr steals) | |||
11:31 | +3 | Connor Essegian makes three point jump shot (AJ Storr assists) | 12-20 | |
11:10 | Sam Hoiberg misses three point jump shot | |||
11:08 | AJ Storr defensive rebound | |||
10:59 | +2 | AJ Storr makes two point jump shot | 12-22 | |
10:58 | Cornhuskers 30 second timeout | |||
10:58 | TV timeout | |||
10:47 | Rienk Mast misses three point jump shot | |||
10:45 | AJ Storr defensive rebound | |||
10:34 | Connor Essegian misses three point jump shot | |||
10:32 | Jamarques Lawrence defensive rebound | |||
10:19 | +3 | Jamarques Lawrence makes three point jump shot (Sam Hoiberg assists) | 15-22 | |
10:05 | +3 | Connor Essegian makes three point jump shot (Tyler Wahl assists) | 15-25 | |
9:50 | C.J. Wilcher turnover (lost ball) (Kamari McGee steals) | |||
9:43 | +2 | Kamari McGee makes two point layup | 15-27 | |
9:33 | Kamari McGee shooting foul (Josiah Allick draws the foul) | |||
9:33 | Josiah Allick misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
9:33 | +1 | Josiah Allick makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-27 | |
9:23 | Jamarques Lawrence shooting foul (AJ Storr draws the foul) | |||
9:23 | AJ Storr misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
9:23 | AJ Storr misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
9:23 | Jamarques Lawrence defensive rebound | |||
9:04 | Keisei Tominaga turnover (bad pass) | |||
8:48 | +2 | AJ Storr makes two point layup (Tyler Wahl assists) | 16-29 | |
8:48 | Jamarques Lawrence shooting foul (AJ Storr draws the foul) | |||
8:48 | +1 | AJ Storr makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 16-30 | |
8:29 | Steven Crowl shooting foul (Rienk Mast draws the foul) | |||
8:29 | Rienk Mast misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
8:29 | +1 | Rienk Mast makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-30 | |
8:18 | +3 | Chucky Hepburn makes three point jump shot (AJ Storr assists) | 17-33 | |
7:53 | +2 | Brice Williams makes two point jump shot | 19-33 | |
7:53 | Chucky Hepburn shooting foul (Brice Williams draws the foul) | |||
7:53 | TV timeout | |||
7:53 | +1 | Brice Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 20-33 | |
7:42 | AJ Storr misses two point jump shot | |||
7:40 | Rienk Mast defensive rebound | |||
7:32 | +2 | Keisei Tominaga makes two point jump shot | 22-33 | |
7:12 | Chucky Hepburn misses three point jump shot | |||
7:11 | Tyler Wahl offensive rebound | |||
7:11 | Juwan Gary shooting foul (Tyler Wahl draws the foul) | |||
7:11 | +1 | Tyler Wahl makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 22-34 | |
7:11 | Tyler Wahl misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
7:11 | Brice Williams defensive rebound | |||
6:58 | Keisei Tominaga offensive foul | |||
6:58 | Keisei Tominaga turnover (offensive foul) | |||
6:37 | +2 | Steven Crowl makes two point hook shot | 22-36 | |
6:22 | Rienk Mast misses three point jump shot | |||
6:20 | Max Klesmit defensive rebound | |||
6:05 | Badgers 30 second timeout | |||
5:55 | +2 | Chucky Hepburn makes two point layup | 22-38 | |
5:41 | +3 | Rienk Mast makes three point jump shot | 25-38 | |
5:26 | John Blackwell misses two point jump shot | |||
5:24 | Josiah Allick defensive rebound | |||
5:15 | Brice Williams misses two point jump shot | |||
5:13 | Chucky Hepburn defensive rebound | |||
4:56 | +2 | Carter Gilmore makes two point layup (Chucky Hepburn assists) | 25-40 | |
4:39 | +2 | Rienk Mast makes two point hook shot | 27-40 | |
4:23 | +3 | Connor Essegian makes three point jump shot (Carter Gilmore assists) | 27-43 | |
4:01 | Carter Gilmore shooting foul (Rienk Mast draws the foul) | |||
4:01 | +1 | Rienk Mast makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 28-43 | |
4:01 | Rienk Mast misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
4:01 | Connor Essegian defensive rebound | |||
3:37 | TV timeout | |||
3:35 | Nolan Winter misses three point jump shot | |||
3:33 | Tyler Wahl offensive rebound | |||
3:26 | +3 | Kamari McGee makes three point jump shot (Tyler Wahl assists) | 28-46 | |
3:08 | Sam Hoiberg misses two point layup | |||
3:06 | Nolan Winter defensive rebound | |||
2:51 | +2 | Nolan Winter makes two point layup | 28-48 | |
2:35 | +2 | Rienk Mast makes two point jump shot | 30-48 | |
2:20 | Connor Essegian misses three point jump shot | |||
2:18 | Brice Williams defensive rebound | |||
2:15 | Kamari McGee personal foul | |||
2:11 | Rienk Mast misses two point jump shot | |||
2:09 | John Blackwell defensive rebound | |||
1:54 | Sam Hoiberg blocks Chucky Hepburn's two point layup | |||
1:52 | Sam Hoiberg defensive rebound | |||
1:37 | +3 | Keisei Tominaga makes three point jump shot (Eli Rice assists) | 33-48 | |
1:24 | Tyler Wahl misses two point layup | |||
1:22 | Tyler Wahl offensive rebound | |||
1:20 | Eli Rice shooting foul (Tyler Wahl draws the foul) | |||
1:20 | +1 | Tyler Wahl makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 33-49 | |
1:20 | Tyler Wahl misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
1:20 | AJ Storr offensive rebound | |||
1:10 | Rienk Mast blocks Tyler Wahl's two point layup | |||
1:08 | Cornhuskers defensive rebound | |||
0:57 | Max Klesmit personal foul | |||
0:57 | +2 | Keisei Tominaga makes two point jump shot (Brice Williams assists) | 35-49 | |
0:32 | +2 | Tyler Wahl makes two point layup (Chucky Hepburn assists) | 35-51 | |
0:04 | +3 | Eli Rice makes three point jump shot (Brice Williams assists) | 38-51 | |
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team |
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