Max Klesmit makes sure Badgers continue home dominance over Indiana

MADISON – Fans of the Indiana men’s basketball program must look back fondly on the one time the Hoosiers beat Wisconsin at the Kohl Center.

That came on Jan. 25, 1998 – UW’s second game in the Kohl Center.

Will the Hoosiers ever win again in Madison?

Perhaps. But Max Klesmit made sure the Hoosiers had zero chance Friday night.

After taking just one shot in the first half, Klesmit scored 20 consecutive points in a span of 4 minutes 38 seconds of the second half to help the eighth-ranked Badgers take control en route to a 91-79 victory in front of an announced crowd of 15,271.

"I just do whatever is asked of me each and every night," said Klesmit, who finished with 26 points. "That’s running around chasing a shooter, helping out a little offensively. I just try to play my role."

His role Friday: Hoosier killer.

Klesmit’s run was incredible as UW extended its home winning streak against Indiana to 20 games.

The fourth-year guard from Neenah High School hit back-to-back three-pointers to help UW build the lead to 49-33. Then after Indiana called a timeout and responded with a 9-0 run to pull within 49-42, Klesmit really got cooking.

He hit another three-pointer; buried a three-pointer while being fouled and hit the free throw for a four-point play; converted a three-point play; scored on a drive and then hit two free throws after drawing a Flagrant 2 foul on CJ Gunn, who was ejected with 12:45 left.

A basket by Kamari McGee pushed the lead to 65-44 and Klesmit capped an 18-2 team run by finding Carter Gilmore alone underneath for a lay-in and a 67-44 lead with 12:07 left.

"It’s real easy to find Max," fellow guard Chucky Hepburn said. "He moves so well without the ball. He is so easy to play with. I love playing with Max. When he gets hot like that, he doesn’t have to say anything. I know to get him the ball."

BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 91, Indiana 79

Klesmit's offensive stats in the last four games – against Ohio State, Northwestern, Penn State and Indiana – look more like video game numbers: 14 of 20 from three-point range (70.0%), 26 of 38 overall (68.4%) and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line (92.3%). His scoring totals in those games: 18, 24, 10 and 26 for an average of 19.5 points per game.

Klesmit has raised his scoring average to 9.9 from 7.2 in the four-game run. He is shooting 42.3% from three-point range, 49.6% overall and 89.2% from the free-throw line.

When Klesmit transferred to UW from Wofford before last season, head coach Greg Gard believed he was getting a player who would provide defense, physical and mental toughness and poise.

Did he ever envision getting this kind of scoring punch?

"No," Gard said. "I mean, he is obviously extremely confident. He has worked on his game, too. He is better physically. He is quicker. He has changed his body in a positive way. And the confidence for him that started late last year and blossomed into the offseason is showing now, too."

The victory allowed the Badgers (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) to improve their lead over second-place Purdue (16-2, 5-2) to a full game.

Purdue plays Saturday at Iowa (11-6, 3-3).

UW also avoided its second losing streak of the season. The Badgers have lost consecutive games just once this season – to Tennessee and Providence in November.

Indiana (12-7, 4-4) lost for the third time in four games.

Led by Klesmit, nine UW players scored.

AJ Storr, averaging 17 points per game in Big Ten play, added 15. He hit 8 of 10 free throws to help UW finished 25 of 29 from the line.

Steven Crowl was fabulous in facilitating UW’s offense and finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Tyler Wahl added eight points and Hepburn contributed six points, three steals and two assists.

Led by John Blackwell (12 points), UW’s reserves contributed 24 points.

Connor Essegian (four points), Gilmore (four points) and McGee (four points) combined for 12 points, though McGee left the game in the second half with a foot/ankle injury.

The Hoosiers came in with four players averaging at least 10 points per game but were without sophomore center Kel’el Ware (14.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg), who suffered an ankle injury in practice.

Forward Malik Reneau (15.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg) scored 28 points to lead three Indiana players in double figures.

Perhaps the only blemish for UW Friday was that the defense sagged after halftime.

UW built a 39-26 halftime lead largely by shooting 52.2% (12 of 23) and holding Indiana to 40.0% shooting (10 of 25).

Led by Klesmit, the Badgers scored at will in the second half but appeared to relax after the lead ballooned to 23 points. Indiana hit 18 of 27 shots after halfime (66.7%).

"I thought the first half we were pretty good," Gard said. "But the second half it looked like an NBA All-Star Game at times."

Klesmit was the brightest star on the floor Friday. Just don't ask him if he had any clue about his 20-point outburst or his final tally of 26 points.

"I don’t look at the scoreboard or points," he said. "I just really care about winning the game."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Max Klesmit makes sure Badgers continue home dominance over Indiana