Overtime: Wisconsin Gets "Good Team Win" Over Ohio State

MADISON, Wis. — Picking up their seventh win in their last eight games, Wisconsin (16-6, 8-3) picked up a key win over Ohio State (14-7, 6-5) on Saturday. During a back-and-forth first half, the Badgers got a huge lift from an unlikely source, leading for the final 25:09 in one of their most complete performances of the season.

Trailing 15-4 in the first half, Saturday marked the fourth time in the last seven games in which UW rallied from a double-digit deficit.

“Really happy for our games,” UW head coach Greg Gard said. “We really played, with the exception of sputtering offensively early and not being able to finish plays around the rim, I thought both ends of the floor for 35 minutes, we were doing a lot of good things.

“Really good team win against a good team. It was important for us to play well today and continue on our journey.”

Austin Rapp Broke Out of His Slump

While he had played better as of late, Austin Rapp certainly hadn’t been providing the scoring punch Wisconsin hoped when they landed the Portland transfer.

That changed in a big way against Ohio State.

The Badgers were struggling early, especially versus the Buckeyes’ zone defense. Rapp got UW going, exploding for 19 first-half points. Rapp was 7-of-8 from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range in the opening period.

While Rapp didn’t score again, his outburst was enough. The sophomore forward also grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes.

“We didn’t expect him to go off like that, because we respected what he was able to do,” OSU head coach Jake Diebler said. “He’s listed as a guy who can really shoot on our report. For him to get off seven 3’s, that’s not executing at a high enough level.

“Good player. When you write scouting, and you see a player who’s not shooting at the level they’re capable of over a certain stretch, my mentality is ‘don’t be the game where they get it going.’ He got it going.”

The Wisconsin Guards Outplayed Ohio State’s Backcourt

I was eager to see how Nick Boyd and John Blackwell would fare against Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton and John Mobley in a battle between two of the top backcourts in the Big Ten.

Advantage Wisconsin.

Even without Andrew Rohde (wrist), the Badgers seemed to have a decisive advantage in the backcourt. The Buckeyes could not keep Blackwell and Boyd out of the paint. The duo combined for 43 points while only taking six 3-pointers and getting to the foul line 11 times. Boyd and Blackwell also drew 12 of OSU’s 20 team fouls.

Meanwhile, Mobley and Thornton combined for 26 points on 23 shots. Six of those points also came when the game had already been decided.

Boyd and Blackwell each hit the 20-point mark. The Badgers are a perfect 8-0 this season when that happens.

“High-level respect for the backcourt here,” said Diebler. “I think we have one of the best backcourts in the country. This was a big-time matchup as far as a game within the game…Thought there were stretches where we did do some things against them, but those two guys, obviously, found a way to get it done.”

The Badgers Broke Through Ohio State’s 3-Point Defense

One of the concerning factors heading into Saturday’s matchup was how reliant Wisconsin is on the 3-point shot and how well Ohio State defends it. The Buckeyes were one of the best in the country, holding opponents to 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Badgers entered Saturday 13-1 when they made at least 10 3-pointers and 2-4 when they didn’t.

UW did not hit the 10 3-pointer threshold, but were right there, going 9-of-26 (35%) from deep. Everyone not named Nolan Winter (0-5) shot a combined 9-of-21 from 3-point range.

Game Ball

In his previous six games, Rapp had scored a combined 35 points on 16-of-38 shooting. As mentioned, Wisconsin was in a bit of a funk offensively as Ohio State went to a zone defense. Rapp shot the Buckeyes right out of it, knocking down five 3-pointers in a span of 7:13.

Rapp’s outside shooting often directly correlates to how explosive the Badgers are offensively. When Rapp scores in double figures this season, UW is putting up 92.9 points per game, with a low of 86 points.

“I’ve been going through a little slump lately, but I still trust my shot and so do my teammates,” Rapp explained. “My teammates are finding me and encouraging me to shoot it. In the second half, I turned one down, and Nick got on me.”

Beyond the Box Score

1.39: Wisconsin averaged 1.39 points per possession.

5: UW’s five turnovers were their lowest against a high major opponent this season.

5: The Badgers had five players score in double figures, marking the fourth time that’s happened this season.

7:13: Rapp hit five 3-pointers in a span of 7:13.

8: Blackwell has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games.

9: The Badgers started the game 1-of-9 shooting.

9: UW closed the first half by making nine of its last 10 field goal attempts, scoring on 10 consecutive possessions.

12: Boyd and Blackwell drew 12 of Ohio State’s 20 fouls.

15: The Buckeyes jumped out to a 15-4 run to start the game.

16: Ohio State only turned the ball over seven times, but UW turned those into 16 points.

42: UW’s 42 points in the paint tied their Big Ten high.

60.6: The Badgers scored on 60.6 percent of their possessions.