As the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team comes off a tough loss against hot-shooting Purdue last night, they are attempting to refocus and prepare for the Big Ten Tournament. Thompson was 6 of 8, while sophomore forward Vince Edwards was 3 of 5.
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The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the high-octane offense of Purdue (31st in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.2) takes on the stingy defense of Wisconsin (12th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 99.1).
Caleb Swanigan and P.J. Thompson combined for 49 points on Sunday, and No. 15 Purdue pulled away from Wisconsin in the second half for a 91-80 victory on Senior Day.
Purdue also scored 25 points at the free throw line, with Swanigan going 14 of 17 in the second half.
He picked up two fouls within 57 seconds of one another in the first half and went to the bench with 12:02 left until halftime.
The Badgers, who had a four-game winning streak snapped, are the reigning Big Ten Tournament champs.
Ethan Happ scored 14 points, Zak Showalter had 13 and Koenig finished with 8 points on 3-for-12 shooting (2-for-9 from 3-point range). Bronson Koenig made just two of nine three-pointers and just three of 12 shots overall to finish with eight points. As a team, they shot 63 percent from the field in the first half, including 8 of 12 from deep.
Purdue earned the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play in Friday’s second semifinal against an opponent to be determined. The Badgers did cut into what had been as much as a 15-point lead, trimming the margin to as few as seven points, but they could not get all the way back, eventually succumbing 91-80. The Badgers have won 20 games for a 10th consecutive season and have won at least 12 Big Ten games for a seventh consecutive year.
In the teams’ first match up this season, a 61-55 Purdue win in Madison on December 24, the Boilermakers center had his way. The Boilermakers are 1-3-1 against the spread in their last 5 home games. Wisconsin is ranked lower at 177th with an A/TO of 1.05.
Twenty-two days ago, the Wisconsin Badgers were on their way to the NIT, according to the bracketology of mid-February. Wisconsin made 16 of 28 first-half shots, yet was outscored 24-10 in the final 7:26.
The first three recipients of the Big Ten tournament’s four double-byes came out as expected. Purdue entered having won 22 of its last 23 home games.
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But Thompson answered with his sixth 3-pointer of the game after UW doubled Hammons in the post, leaving Thompson open at the top of the key.
