National Basketball Association
Wisconsin 80, Michigan St 69
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 15, 2015
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Officials:
# Lamont Simpson, # Gene Steratore, # Terry Wymer
Attendance:
17123
By SportsDirect Inc.
No. 5 Wisconsin 80, Michigan State 69 (OT): Nigel Hayes went 12-of-12 from the foul line and matched a career-high with 25 points as the Badgers overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to upend the Spartans in the Big Ten tournament championship game in Chicago.
Frank Kaminsky had 19 points and Bronson Koenig poured in 18 for Wisconsin (31-3), which matched its school record for wins and locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Duje Dukan hit three of the Badgers’ season-high 13 3-pointers and finished with 11 points for the Badgers.
Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson poured in 16 points apiece for Michigan State (23-11), which lost in the Big Ten tournament title game for the first time in five tries. Bryn Forbes chipped in with 10 points as the Spartans shot 50.9 percent from the field, but missed all six of their shots in the extra period.
Michigan State trailed 38-34 before Valentine scored eight straight points near the end of an 18-5 surge before Koenig knocked down a 3-pointer with 10:45 remaining, but Dawson’s steal and dunk three minutes later stretched the Spartans’ advantage to 11 – matching the Badgers’ largest deficit of the season. Koenig drained another triple and Kaminsky added a three-point play on the next possession as Wisconsin stormed back with a 14-2 surge, taking the lead at 60-59 on Koenig’s third triple of the second half.
A 3-pointer from Valentine and a jumper by Travis Trice allowed the Spartans to jump back in front 69-67 with 44 seconds left, but Koenig drained a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to go after Valentine made an ill-advised pass following a loose ball seconds earlier. Dawson’s potential game-winning 15-footer at the buzzer rimmed out and Wisconsin outscored Michigan State 11-0 in the extra period, getting seven of its points from Hayes.
GAME NOTEBOOK: This was the first overtime championship game in the 19-year history of the Big Ten tournament. … Wisconsin’s 31st win ties the 2007-08 Badgers for the most in school history. … Trice finished with six points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Top Game Performances
| Michigan St |
|
Wisconsin |
|
Branden Dawson 16 |
Scoring |
Nigel Hayes 25 |
|
Denzel Valentine 6 |
Assists |
Bronson Koenig 9 |
|
Denzel Valentine 8 |
Rebounds |
Nigel Hayes 5 |
|
Bryn Forbes 3 |
Free Throws Made |
Nigel Hayes 12 |
|
Lourawls Nairn Jr 2 |
Steals |
Sam Dekker 2 |
|
Matt Costello 2 |
Blocks |
Frank Kaminsky 1 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Michigan St
|
69 |
50.9 |
6-14 |
9-9 |
16 |
29 |
2 |
3 |
13 |
| Wisconsin
|
80 |
48.1 |
13-26 |
17-20 |
18 |
21 |
1 |
7 |
7 |
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