Wisconsin Basketball Defeats Nebraska 88-72, Sits Atop Big Ten Standings

Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin men’s basketball team continued to do what it’s done this entire season: score. For the eighth-straight game, the No. 21 Badgers scored more than 70 points to seal an 88-72 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Bucky has also scored 80-plus points in their last three games, including racking up 83 and 88 points respectively in back-to-back Big Ten contests for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

Wisconsin had five players score in double figures, with graduate student Tyler Wahl leading the way with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Junior Chucky Hepburn knocked down a season-high three 3-pointers (13 total points) and sophomore Connor Essegian nailed four 3-pointers (season-high 12 points).

Essegian (4-of-7 from deep) ignited the crowd with his first made three-pointer at 11:29 in the first half. And with his second three-pointer coming 1:27 later, the Badgers took that momentum to go on a 10-3 run in Essegian’s first few minutes of playing time to increase the lead to 27-15.

Connor Essegian is taking advantage of his playing time.

The Wisconsin G has hit two of his first three 3-pointers. 🏹@CEssegian x @BadgerMBB pic.twitter.com/VnMUVeUs62

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 6, 2024

When speaking about Connor’s big spark off the bench, Chucky relayed, “It gives the crowd momentum…always looking for Connor and we believe in him.”

“We’ve gotta lot of guys oozing confidence,” said Wahl. “Confidence comes from experience, being balanced and another year of perfecting our craft.” Wahl added: “There’s not a three I wouldn’t have anyone on the team shoot.”

With Win Over Nebraska, Wisconsin Basketball Now Sits Alone at the Top of the Big Ten

Jan 6, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard looks on during the first half against Nebraska at Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach Greg Gard spoke to Connor Essegian’s mentality in practice and the timeless philosophy that if the team wants to get better, it must practice better.

“Connor has absorbed coaching and his teammates have supported him,” Gard said.

“We have a deep team — sometimes you don’t want selfishness to creep in with guys getting minutes,” added Greg.

And unselfish they were, as the Badgers had 10 members score a point in today’s affair with the Cornhuskers. The Wisconsin bsaketball team shot 13-of-26 from beyond the arc to match the most triples UW has made in a game since the opening of 2021 NCAA Tournament versus North Carolina on March 19, 2021.

1️⃣3️⃣-2️⃣6️⃣ 🔥@BadgerMBB drained a baker’s dozen treys today, tying their most in a game since 2/18/21. 🏹

Watch all of the 3s below. pic.twitter.com/JDclvX4kld

— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 6, 2024

Sophomore A.J. Storr scored eight of his 10 points in the first half, capitalized by an empathic drive to the bucket and hitting his free-throw subsequently to put the Badgers up 30-16 with less than nine minutes remaining in half number one.

Up 51-38 at the half, the Badgers notched the team’s highest total of points in a Big Ten game since at least 1998-99 season, and they did not look back.

The depth of Wisconsin remained evident as the Badgers tallied 36 bench points to the Huskers’ 18. And the unselfish play lead way to the 18 assists, the second-most since Bucky’s game against Marquette last season on December 23, 2023.

Freshman John Blackwell continued to dazzle Badger fans with his electric play as he poured in 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field and added three defensive rebounds.

Keisei Tominaga paced Nebraska with 17 points, but the Badgers did a good job limiting the deep scoring threat who toppled his 14.0 scoring average with a season-high 28 points against Indiana last Tuesday evening.

Said Gard, “I thought we controlled them as best as we could defensively, minimizing attempts from three.”

Wisconsin basketball never let their foot off the gas pedal in the second half, continuing to shoot 50% from the field and knocking down 6-of-13 three point tries and continuing to lead by 11 points or more.   

The game was sealed with a 6-0 scoring run punctuated by a nasty crossover and driving lay-up from Hepburn to put the Badgers up 78-59 with less than eight minutes remaining.

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg noted how great this Badger offense could be, scoring at the clip Wisconsin (33-for-60 today) continues to produce at.

“The additions they’ve made to this roster have made them difficult to guard,” said Hoiberg. “One of the teams — if they’re hitting their shots, they are hard to beat.”

The Badgers eclipsed the 50% mark in both field goals and shots from distance and outpaced the Huskers with 32 boards and six steals.

In their 38th all-time meeting, Wisconsin basketball was able to right the ship against Nebraska after previously losing the last two games against the Cornhuskers. And with the win today, the Badgers sit alone the Big Ten conference standings at 3-0.

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