Badgers' Comeback Falls Short in Big Ten Tournament

0:00On March 15th, the Wisconsin Badgers saw their Big Ten tournament run end in a tough semi-final loss to Michigan at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday. Down by 15 points with 10 minutes left in the second half, they staged a huge comeback to tie the game with 65 seconds to go. Thanks too. A key three-pointer from Nick Boyd, but Michigan's Yaxxel-Lendaborg, the Big Ten player of the year, hit his own three at the buzzer to win it. Sophomore forward Austin Rapp sparked the rally, knocking down several threes in a row, to score 18 of Wisconsin's next 23 points. His hot streak flipped the momentum, and even put the Badgers ahead, late in the game. Team mates weren't shocked, saying they see him putting in that work every day in practice. The first half lived promising, with the score tied at 28 and Wisconsin's defense holding Michigan to under 27% shooting, while forcing a turnovers. The things shifted after half-time, as the Wolverines dominated inside, scoring 22 points

1:01in the paint. Michigan's Big Men like Lindaborg, and a Daymara, proved too much, going a combined 10-4-11 on two-pointers and blocking shots throughout. Lindaborg finished perfect from the field and added assists, while Wisconsin struggled to score near the basket, hitting just 30% on twos. Even with the close defeat, the Badgers proved their strong regular season wins were no fluke, building real momentum heading into the postseason.