/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68582213/1230299359.0.jpg)
On Christmas Day, the No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers (8-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) took down the No. 12 Michigan State Spartans (6-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., 85-76.
Here are some fun facts, highlights and post-game quotes for your reading and watching pleasure!
- The Badgers registered their first road win of the season and improved to 28-29 all-time in road games under Greg Gard.
- UW has now won four of its last six road games against an AP Top-25 team. Last season the Badgers won at No. 19 Michigan, No. 20 Penn State and No. 5 Ohio State.
- Wisconsin’s 85 points are its most in a road win over a ranked team in school history.
- UW won its 10th-straight Big Ten game dating back to last season, the team’s longest conference win streak since winning 10 in a row during the 2014-15 season.
at #20 Penn State ✔️
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 26, 2020
at #5 Ohio State ✔️
at #19 Michigan ✔️
at #12 Michigan State ✔️
The Badgers have now won four of their last six road games against AP Top-25 teams. Top Plays from our Christmas Day win! pic.twitter.com/G72MbauXYt
- The Badgers claimed their fourth-consecutive Big Ten road win dating back to last season. That is UW’s longest conference road win streak since winning four straight spanning the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
- The Badgers won at Michigan State for the first time since 2004, snapping a streak of 12 consecutive losses at the Breslin Center. Wisconsin has now beaten Michigan State twice in a row as well.
- The Badgers scored their most points in the history of the Breslin Center and the most at MSU since an 86-82 win 1976.
“A big gift for Badger Nation.” @DMitrikTrice0 joined @TheAndyKatz from the plane in East Lansing after dropping 29pts in @BadgerMBB’s Christmas Day win! pic.twitter.com/okQij2An3a
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) December 25, 2020
- After turning the ball over five times in the first 4:53 of the game, Wisconsin had zero turnovers in the final 15:03 of the first half and finished the game with just seven.
- Wisconsin shot 51.9% from the field, marking their fourth game shooting 50.0% or better.
- Senior G D’Mitrik Trice scored a season-high 29 points, two shy of his career high. That included 4-for-7 from three-point range and 11-for-15 at the free throw line.
Izzo on Trice:
— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) December 26, 2020
"Now I get to cheer for him for 18 games, glad I don’t have to play him again. But he was the difference. Not just because of the points he scored, but the way he did it, the way he calmed his team down. And he was very efficient, he was pretty good defensively.”
- Trice now owns 336 career assists, moving into seventh place on Wisconsin’s all-time list, passing Tom Molaski (335).
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo on D'Mitrik Trice: “I’ve got a lot of NBA buddies. If anybody called me and talked to me about him, there’s going to be rave reviews.”
— Jim Polzin (@JimPolzinWSJ) December 25, 2020
- Senior F Aleem Ford finished with 13 points, going 5-for-6 from the floor. He has now scored in double figures in each of the last three games and six of the last eight games.
- Senior G Brad Davison scored 11 points with four rebounds and four assists.
- Senior F Micah Potter posted 11 points (2-of-3 3FGs) with six rebounds and a career-high five assists. Potter has scored in double figures in five straight games and seven of the last eight.
- Senior G Trevor Anderson led the Badgers with a +11 in 21:53 of playing time, showing again that he is a positive difference maker whenever he is on the court.
“Merry Christmas, Coach!” pic.twitter.com/IFbHogwfub
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 25, 2020