In front of an energized Crisler Arena crowd in Ann Arbor, the Wisconsin Badgers escaped with a 69-64 overtime win against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday night
Outside of a mid-game run by the Badgers (18-2, 6-1), Michigan (12-8, 5-3) was able to fight with Wisconsin all night and keep the game within a of couple possessions. A slow pace and an uncharacteristically high amount of Wisconsin turnovers held the Badgers to a 24-23 lead through the first 19 minutes. UW went on a six-point run to enter the break and extended the lead to 11 before the first television timeout in the second half.
The Wolverines answered with everyone in the lineup stepping up and making a basket, and were able to tie the game with just under 10 minutes left. Wisconsin regained the lead and held it until Derrick Walton Jr.'s last-second three-pointer tied the game and forced it into overtime.
Wisconsin came out focused in overtime and immediately took the lead with a Frank Kaminsky and-1. Josh Gasser knocked down a three moments later and Michigan never again got within a possession.
Outside shooting was a problem for the Badgers, as the team made just seven of 21 attempts. Sam Dekker scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but all five of his misses came from beyond the arc while he only made one.
The team did much better inside thanks in large part to Kaminsky, who led the game with 22 points and nine rebounds. Bronson Koenig added 13 points on seven shots and added four beautiful assists, including a couple to a slashing Dekker that resulted in his patented slam dunk.
Koenig's presence in the starting lineup left a major void on the bench, with the subs failing to score and playing poorly enough to force the starters to play nearly the entire game. Vitto Brown looked particularly flustered against Michigan's zone, missing a shot and turning the ball over twice in his minute-and-a-half stretch in the game.
Aside from the game-tying three, Walton struggled from the field but led the Wolverines with 17 points due to his ability to get to the line eight times and make seven of those attempts. Michigan's other significant offensive advantage was the countless second chance points that resulted from the team's 11 offensive rebounds. The undersized Wolverines attacked the glass very well and were able to come away with numerous 50/50 balls.
In contrast to Wisconsin, Michigan also benefited from its bench providing a ton of production. The unit scored 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Three of the top five scorers were not in the starting lineup.
Wisconsin gets an entire week off before it travels to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face Iowa. The Badgers earned, and will need, that rest after the slugfest of an overtime win.