The Wisconsin basketball team has been one of the best teams in the Big Ten season, but the Badgers fell victim to a tough upset loss on Tuesday night. Wisconsin hit the road to take on a struggling Penn State basketball team, but the Nittany Lions were the ones to come out on top. The Badgers got down early in this one and they made a good effort to get back in the game and actually get a lead late in the contest, but Penn State fought back to earn the 87-83 win.
Wisconsin basketball came into this game with a 13-3 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark in Big Ten conference play. The Badgers are currently ranked #11 in the country, but they will likely drop after losing to a Penn State team that was 8-9. The fast start is what did it for Penn State, and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said after the game that it had his team “too frenzied.”
“They got us on our heels right from the beginning,” Greg Gard said, according to an article from ESPN. “We gave them some confidence early by playing into their hands a little bit and making life difficult on ourselves.”
This was a brutal loss for Wisconsin, but it was an incredible win for Penn State, and it gives the team confidence that they can beat anyone in the conference. Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades gave a lot of credit to the fans.
“Our students, they were awesome,” Mike Rhoades said. “I’m sure it’s icy out right now, it’s as late as can be. That’s a great crowd for a 9 o’clock (Tuesday) night. That’s what we’re trying to do, keep selling our program, keep playing an exciting style.”
The win over Wisconsin is something that all of the students will remember, and it is the kind of win that players want to experience when they come to Penn State. That is the case for Ace Baldwin Jr.
“This is exactly why I came here, for that experience, and it was a great experience,” Ace Baldwin Jr. said. “I’ve never been in a situation like that. It was a great feeling.”
The good news for Wisconsin is that they are still in first place in the Big Ten. College basketball is a funny game, and crazy upsets happen all the time. The Badgers just need to stay the course and bounce back next game. They will get that opportunity on Friday night at home as they will host Indiana.
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