Wisconsin has been one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country this season, but completely changed its tune to beat Ohio State Thursday night.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 32 | 36 | 68 |
| WISCONSIN | 38 | 41 | 79 |
The Badgers entered the game shooting just 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (11th in the Big Ten and tied for 229th nationally), but nailed in a season-high 13 3-pointers to oust the Buckeyes, 79-68, at the Kohl Center.
Jae'Sean Tate's rebound and put back capped a 9-0 Ohio State run to cut Wisconsin's lead to three with 7 minutes remaining. The Buckeyes trailed by two 3 minutes later, but Wisconsin made just enough free throws and clutch shots down the stretch to close out its sixth Big Ten victory. The Badgers finished the game on a 13-5 run.
JaQuan Lyle did his best to carry Ohio State to a much-needed victory, scoring a game high 27 points of the bench on 11-of-19 shooting. It wasn't enough, however, as the Buckeyes left too many open shooters throughout the game.
The Badgers scored the first 11 points of the game and eventually led 38-32 at halftime on the heels of seven first half 3-pointers. Thad Matta burned a timeout not even four minutes in to stop the bleeding, and Lyle provided the Band-Aid Ohio State needed.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | WISCONSIN |
|---|---|---|
| 68 | POINTS | 79 |
| 26-58 (45) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 28-57 (49) |
| 7-18 (39) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 13-27 (48) |
| 9-12 (75) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 10-17 (59) |
| 10 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 27 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 13 |
| 17 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 23 |
| 46 | BENCH POINTS | 15 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 2 | STEALS | 5 |
| 8 | ASSISTS | 15 |
Lyle scored just nine points in Ohio State's previous three games combined, but doubled that total by intermission Thursday on 7-of-11 shooting. He and Trevor Thompson—who also didn't start—combined for 27 of Ohio State's 32 first half points. Thompson also grabbed five rebounds in the first half, four on the offensive glass. The Buckeyes led 21-20 with 7:08 left after a pair of Thompson free throws, but Bronson Koenig nailed a 3-pointer to put Wisconsin ahead for good.
Nigel Hayes led Wisconsin (14-9, 6-4 Big Ten) with 21 points, 18 in the second half. Koenig added 13, while Ethan Happ and Vitto Brown both had 12. The win is Wisconsin's fifth straight.
Thompson finished with nine points and six rebounds. Kam Williams was the only other Buckeye in double figures, scoring 10 points off the bench.
Ohio State (14-10, 6-5) is off this weekend, but hosts Northwestern Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
