MILWAUKEE (AP) – Johnny Davis provided a simple explanation for how Wisconsin went down the track to avoid a first-round pick.
“We just stopped being lazy in defense and non-fundamental,” said the All-America Guard and Big Ten player of the year. “That’s all it was.”
Davis shot Wisconsin his last 14 points and finished with 25 as the Big Ten co-champion Badgers came from behind to beat Colgate 67-60 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
The third-seeded Badgers (25-7) beat Colgate in their 15-game winning streak and advanced to a second-round game Sunday against No. 11 Iowa State (21-12). The Cyclones defeated LSU 59-54 earlier Friday.
Wisconsin was left with as many as five in the second half before going into a 10-0 run and holding Colgate for more than seven minutes without a score. Wisconsin coach Greg Gard agreed with Davis’ blunt assessment of what caused the turnaround.
“At least he’s honest,” Gard said.
Davis has shown that he is all the way back from the injured left ankle that hit the Big Ten player of the year from the regular season finals of the Badgers. Davis is back for the Big Ten tournament but shot 3 of 19 in a quarterfinal loss against Michigan State, which also kicks off Friday night.
After scoring 3 of 11 in the first half, Davis caught fire when the Badgers needed him. Steven Crowl’s 3-pointer put Wisconsin ahead 53-52 with 8:08 left.
From that moment on, Davis took over.
“That was a big shot from Steve,” Davis said. “I feel like I did it before, but my teammates have a lot of confidence in me – so the coaches – to finish a game.”
Davis’ teammates have seen him all season and are struggling to describe his impact.
“I’m speechless,” said Wisconsin Guard Chucky Hepburn. “I have no words to say. I’ll just give him the ball and get out of the way.
Tyler Wahl added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Wisconsin.
Nelly Cummings scored 20 points and Tucker Richardson had 15 for Colgate, who shot 10 of 22 from a 3-point range to nearly convert Wisconsin.
Colgate finished second in the nation at night in 3-point percentage (.403) and 12th and 3-points per game (9.9). The long-range attack took place in the second half as the Raiders threw a scare at the partisans who formed a red sea at the Fiserv Forum, which is about 80 miles east of the Wisconsin campus.
“I’ve been to a lot of great places in this country: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Palestra, Rupp Arena, Phog Allen Fieldhouse,” said Colgate coach Matt Langel. “I do not think I was ever in an environment better than that for college basketball tonight. That does not usually happen in NCAA tournament games.
The 14th Raiders (23-12) made six of their first seven 3-point shots in the second half, with Richardson 4 for 4 from over the arc in the first five minutes.
Colgate led 52-48 after Jeff Woodward converted a three-point lead with 10:40 left, but the Raiders only wanted to score after 3:33.
“Wisconsin has increased their defensive intensity a bit more,” Langel said. “Tucker has let go a few times. They would not let him go. The game has become a little more physical than you would expect from a Big Ten champion in the gut of a close game.
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: Davis didn’t shoot in the first 10 1/2 minutes, but was huge when it mattered. The Badgers will need him to continue to show this form of second half if they make a deep run.
Colgate: The Raiders have yet to win an NCAA Tournament game, but they do show that they can compete with anyone. They gave Tennessee everything it could handle before falling 77-70 in 2019, and they blew an early 14-point lead in an 85-68 loss to Arkansas last year.
OP Next
Wisconsin faces Iowa State on Sunday for a spot in the Badgers’ first Sweet Sixteen since 2017.
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