Wisconsin’s high-powered offense missed nine straight shots in the first half, rushing three-point shots that bounded off the backboard and layups that were open at the rim but attempts that were too strong and didn’t allow shots to fall. The Badgers got a season-low three points from their bench and didn’t score any on the fast break.
That wasn’t the problem in Wisconsin’s final game of the season; seeing BYU light up the scoreboard was.
While the Badgers had a chance to win or force overtime on the game’s final possession, third-seeded Wisconsin regressed defensively to early-season levels and gave up a season-high in points. Instead of advancing to the program’s final Sweet 16 since 2017, Wisconsin’s 91-89 defeat at the hands of sixth-seeded BYU will create a sting that will carry deep into the offseason, if not longer.
For the final time this season, here are my takeaways.
The Badgers controlled pace, got buckets in the paint, and cleaned the glass against a smaller mid-major opponent on Thursday. Against a Power Conference opponent in BYU, not so much.
It was clear from the first couple of possessions that Wisconsin was behind, chasing, and out of sync. BYU led 7-2 after three possessions and increased that lead to 23-14 by the second media timeout because UW couldn’t slow BYU’s tempo or control the paint.
As UW huddled in the timeout, they trailed BYU 12-4 in points in the paint, 8-2 in second-chance points, 7-0 in points off turnovers, and 6-0 in fast-break points.
“(Offensive rebounds) was kind of the difference,” senior Steven Crowl said. Once you get in a hole that big, it’s hard to dig out. We tried to put on a comeback, but when you’re coming back from that much, it’s tough for sure.”
While BYU scored 20 points in the paint, UW created opportunities for the Cougars by poorly rotating on switches and going under instead of over on screens, a no-no for the program that led to open perimeter looks that felt like haymakers as UW was desperately trying to cut the lead into single digits.
“It took us a while to get our feet defensively,” head coach Greg Gard said. “We didn’t until a little bit in the first half, and then a little bit better in the second half … Unfortunately we weren’t able to get traction a little bit earlier defensively.”
Two possessions that perfectly encapsulated Wisconsin’s poor decisions in the first half were the final two possessions. Trimming a 14-point deficit down to eight and able to take the final shot of the half, Crowl instead took a contested shot with 13 seconds left. Not only did Wisconsin not get the rebound, but a defensive breakdown between John Blackwell and John Tonje allowed Trevin Knell to hit an open three-pointer before the buzzer.
Instead of potentially cutting the lead to five, Wisconsin’s 11-point halftime deficit was the largest all season.
Wisconsin trailed by 14 with 10:25 to go and 11 with 2:34 to go, looking sunk and resigned to its fate. Tonje had other ideas.
In the final act of his illustrious one season in Wisconsin, Tonje’s 37 points broke Michael Finley‘s 31-year-old school record for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game, and his 26 points on 6-for-9 shooting (11-for-11 FT) nearly stole a game.
After a quieter first half in which he scored 11 points but missed all four of his three-point shots, Tonje started to heat up from the perimeter and generate contact. He drew a foul on a three-point shot with 13:05 to go and hit all three free throws and then notched an old-fashioned three-point play with 10:10 left.
In the final 6:05, Tonje drew contact on two drives and hit all six of his free throws.
With a minute remaining, Tonje got the ball on the perimeter, got by guard Dallin Hall and into the lane after one step and a crossover, drew contact as he hung in the air near the rim, and hit a two-point shot off the glass.
“We just believed in each other,” Tonje said. “We just kept fighting back, kept encouraging each other, letting each other know what was at stake. I’m proud of the guys just for fighting to get back in the game and giving everything we had.”
With how badly Wisconsin struggled defensively, the Badgers had their best series on BYU’s final possession. While UW couldn’t grab the offensive rebound after a contested three-pointer late in the shot clock, senior Carter Gilmore forced Hall into a contested shot and called timeout after diving on the loose ball with 13.1 seconds left.
Tonje took the inbounds pass and dribbled up the floor. According to Gard, Wisconsin’s four players ran a flat alignment with some bumping action but cleared the lane for Tonje to get downhill. With one of Mawot Mag, one of BYU’s best defenders, guarding him, Tonje got stopped around the low block.
“At that point, I didn’t know what options I had,” Tonje said. “I just tried to go up with it.”
Mag didn’t fall for any of Tonje’s pump fakes and Tonje’s contested jump shot fell short. Contact underneath allowed Keba Keita to clear out Crowl while Gilmore and Hall tumbled to the floor before the ball arrived. BYU ran out the final seconds from there.
“You trust your players,” Gard said. “We’re not in this position without John Tonje. We don’t have that comeback. We don’t have the year and win 27 games without J.T. We made the decision, we were coming down, we had done it before. Put the ball in your best player’s hands and let him go make a play.”
BYU was assessed two technical fouls on Saturday, one on Mag after he pointed at the scoreboard next to an official following a questionable foul call by Hall on Blackwell (Blackwell likely got away with a travel) and another on Baker when he was assessed a flagrant-2 after elbowing Max Klesmit in the groin as he tried to split two UW defenders.
But the technical on Wisconsin’s bench was really out of left field.
The Badgers were finally starting to generate some momentum with consistent offense and stringing together defensive stops, resulting in a 12-3 run to cut a 14-point deficit down to four.
But when Crowl and Keita were physically battling in the low post, resulting in Keita registering a steal and no foul being called, UW’s bench stood up to express their displeasure. The official nearest to Gard – without turning to look at the bench – called a technical.
It turned out to be a huge swing of momentum back to BYU, as Richie Saunders (25 points) made both free throws and a driving layup to double the lead to eight with 15:36 remaining.
“The official couldn’t tell me what was said,” Gard said. “He didn’t know. I don’t think anything was said. Apparently, two assistants stood up. I didn’t know you got technicals for standing up and stomping your feet. If they stomped their feet, I don’t know, but they did.
“I’ve said a lot of things this year and haven’t even come close to getting a technical, and for some reason we had one in that situation. It hasn’t happened all year. I don’t know why it would come out in that regard. But maybe he couldn’t remember what was said.”
5 – Wisconsin finished 27-10, the Badgers’ most wins since 2016-17 and the fifth-highest win total in school history.
82.6 – Wisconsin set a new school and Big Ten record by going 82.6 percent from the free throw line (616-for-746).
91 – BYU’s scoring total was the third-most points Wisconsin has given up in an NCAA Tournament game (109 vs. No.1 Missouri in 1994, 94 vs. No.8 Arizona in 2006).
724 – Tonje finished his season with 724 points (19.6 points per game), the second most points scored in school history (Frank Kaminsky – 732 in 2015).
2,964 – The Badgers broke the school record for points in a season, surpassing the 2900 points scored during the 2014-15 national runner-up season.
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