Wisconsin basketball bounces back with statement win over Maryland
Wisconsin basketball returned to the win column with a 74-70 win over Maryland on Tuesday night.
Tyler Wahl led the way for the Badgers with 18 points on 6/9 shooting, while Max Klesmit added 14 points of his own including clutch free throws late, A.J. Storr had 10 points and John Blackwell notched a valuable nine points off the bench.
The key to the win: Wisconsin made 28 of 31 free throws (90.3%) compared to Maryland’s 17/23 clip. It sounds overly simple, but college basketball teams win games when free throws are just that, free.
The game was labeled a ‘must-win’ by many. Wisconsin had lost five of its last six, and in that time fallen from No. 6 in the country to out of the AP Poll entirely. Well, there are still sure to be skeptics about what Greg Gard’s team can do in March, but the gravity of tonight’s victory cannot be denied.
Yes, Maryland was only 14-12 (6-9 Big Ten) entering the evening and Wisconsin was heavily favored. But if a game is labeled a must-win, then credit must be given when the team does indeed win the game.
— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) February 21, 2024
That is what we’re doing here. Wisconsin is now 18-9 (10-6 Big Ten) with four regular season games remaining. If Gard’s group can stack a few wins entering the Big Ten Tournament, then maybe the NCAA Tournament is viewed differently by Badgers fans.
After all, Wisconsin lost five of six in 2013-14 and went on to make the Final Four. A run is still possible.
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