Wisconsin lost two close games to Northwestern last season. Here's why the Badgers feel this year will be different.

MADISON – When you lose 15 basketball games and miss out on the NCAA Tournament, as Wisconsin did last season, identifying only one or two losses that stand out isn’t easy.

Ten of UW’s 15 losses were decided in the closing minutes.

Yet the Badgers’ two losses to Northwestern – by three points in Evanston and by two points in Madison – haven’t been wiped from the players’ memories.

“I remember both games,” point guard Chucky Hepburn said. “We had the opportunity to extend a lead but we just couldn’t find ways to score down the stretch.”

UW (12-3, 4-0 Big Ten) gets its only regular-season shot at the Wildcats (12-3, 3-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Kohl Center.

“This year I feel we’re a more confident team,” Hepburn said. “We have different players who can score down the stretch, in crunch time.”

Wisconsin's offense went cold down the stretch in both losses to Northwestern last season

That wasn’t the case last season, particularly in the losses to Northwestern.

UW held a 61-60 lead with 3 minutes 14 seconds left in the first meeting but missed its final seven shots.

UW held a 49-48 lead with 3:21 left in the rematch at the Kohl Center but missed four of its final five shots.

Look at the Badgers’ combined numbers in the losses:

They hit 19 of 54 three-point attempts (35.2%) but just 41 of 107 shots overall (38.3%). The issue was two-point attempts, as the Badgers made just 22 of 53 (41.5%).

In addition, UW made just 14 of 27 free throws (51.9%).

Through 15 games this season the Badgers have shown they are better equipped offensively because they have more scoring options and are more efficient.

UW has hit 53.7% of its two-point attempts, up from 46.3% last season; is shooting 76.2% from the free-throw line, up from 69.1%; and is averaging 20.2 free-throw attempts per game, up from 13.3.

As a result, UW has scored at least 70 points in nine consecutive games and in 12 games overall and is averaging 75.5 points.

Last season? The Badgers hit the 70-point mark in 11 of 35 games and averaged 65.3 points.

Joe Krabbenhoft says Big Ten coaches know UW's tendencies but also believes UW can still score

Associate head coach Joe Krabbenfoft was asked whether UW could sustain the productivity.

“Having the depth and the skill level to put the ball in the basket,” he said, “I don’t think that is going to change. Just continue to do what we’re doing.

“We know things are going to get tougher. These coaches we’re going to see now have seen us for years and the scouting reports go in-depth. You’ve got to be sharper. You’ve got to be better. You have to make sure you’re executing at a high level.”

Head coach Greg Gard noted Wednesday after UW’s 71-60 victory at Ohio State that one mark of a good team is having so many scoring options that you don’t know which player will produce.

That came after Max Klesmit, averaging 7.2 points per game, contributed all 18 of his points in the second half against the Buckeyes.

"You get in those modes when it is feeling good and you’ve seen a couple go down," said Klesmit, who hit 2 of 4 three-pointers and 5 of 9 shots overall. "That is basketball, having a little mojo or swagger. You see one go in and the tougher ones may fall at a little higher clip."

Klesmit burned Marquette with 21 first-half points in UW's 75-64 victory on Dec. 2. AJ Storr has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 games. Tyler Wahl has scored in double figures in five consecutive games and 10 of 15 overall. Steven Crowl has scored in double figures in 10 games. Hepburn is running the team beautifully, with 60 assists and just 18 turnovers, but has shown the ability to become a shot-maker late in games if needed. Freshmen John Blackwell and Nolan Winter are averaging a combined 11.9 points to lead a solid bench.

“I think we’re a pretty confident group,” Crowl said. “I keep going back to last year. This year just feels different with our confidence.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin basketball's offense better equipped to beat Northwestern