Wisconsin Clinches Big Ten Title with 76-63 Win over Minnesota
March 5, 2015
The fifth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers jumped to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, clinching first place in the Big Ten with a 76-63 win over Minnesota at Williams Arena. Frank Kaminsky, a candidate for player of the year in the nation, and Sam Dekker combined for 40 points. The seven-foot Kaminsky also dished out seven assists with only two turnovers, producing an all-around strong performance that drew praise from his coach, Bo Ryan, as well as Minnesota coach Richard Pitino.
Pitino threw his support to Kaminsky as the national player of the year, joining Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who was quoted in the Wisconsin game notes: “I would like to give my early vote that Kaminsky is, no question, the best player in the country this year.”
The Badgers shot 63 percent from the field in the first half, including 7 of 10 from beyond the arc. (They finished the game making 28 of 56 field goals, including 10 of 20 three-pointers.) Meanwhile, the Gophers started out cold from the outside, freshman Nate Mason hitting on their only two shots from beyond the paint in the early going. Pitino said his team was getting good looks and thought the inability of some of the shots deflated them. Minnesota center Maurice Walker led both teams with 11 rebounds in the game, including 6 off the offensive boards, but Pitino thought the flow began to change when 6-11 freshman Bakary Konaté relieved Walker. “He’s a big presence,” said Pitino, noting that the Gophers began to contain Kaminsky and get some stops after Konaté came in.
Nevertheless, the Badgers pulled away and upped their lead to 20 during a time out with 6:06 left in the first half. During the break, officials reviewed a three-point basket by Minnesota’s Andre Hollins and changed it to a two-pointer, putting the Wisconsin lead at 36-16.
Soon after the Gophers went on a 10-point run to pull within 9 points and continued strong for the remainder of the half, with Hollins hitting an off-balance three at the buzzer to make the score 44-34 for Wisconsin at halftime.
Minnesota kept the pressure on at the beginning of the start of the second half with Joey King hitting a three-pointer and Walker then blocking a Kaminsky shot and getting the rebound. The Gophers got as close as 46-40 three minutes into the half and kept within striking distance into the closing minutes of the game. However, the more talented Badgers held on. “They were a really, really hard matchup,” said Pitino of Wisconsin. “They make you pay. That’s about as impressive of a team as I’ve seen.”
It was nice to have five guys who came to play and five guys who can shoot from the inside or outside,” said Ryan. “It’s a good combination and that’s why they have the record that they have right now.”
Gopher Holes: The crowd of 14,625 was the largest of the season at Williams Arena. Not counting Minnesota’s vacated games, the Gophers have a 96-92 edge in their games against the Badgers.