Wisconsin basketball (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten) fell 73-71 to the USC Trojans (15-5, 4-5 Big Ten) Sunday at the Kohl Center.
Despite receiving 29 points, six rebounds and three helpers from transfer guard Nick Boyd, the Badgers could not contain Trojans‘ veteran Chad Baker-Mazara, who finished with 29 tallies, four boards and three assists. Wisconsin was plagued by a 25.7% shooting clip in the second half, which enabled USC to outscore UW 34-30 in the frame en route to the two-point victory.
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Greg Gard’s group did fare well in the first half with 41 total points, however. Fueled by Boyd, guard John Blackwell and big man Nolan Winter, UW mustered 26 of those points in the final 10 minutes of the first half while overcoming a 10-point deficit.
The Badgers opened the second frame with a 17-7 scoring burst, but USC countered with a 16-2 run to capture a 62-60 lead with under five minutes to spare. The two teams traded blows down the stretch, but with two ticks to go, Boyd missed an acrobatic layup attempt to tie the game. The Trojans would snatch the rebound and end the game from the line, claiming the two-point win.
Winter added 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 38 minutes of action, while Blackwell chipped in with 11 points, nine rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes. As a team, UW shot 34.3% from the field, 24.3% from deep and 80% from the line.
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The loss snaps Wisconsin’s five-game win streak dating back to its Jan. 6 win over UCLA. The ensemble will now shift focus to the Minnesota Golden Gophers for a Jan. 28 bout at the Kohl Center.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Badgers Basketball USC Recap Loss Stats Update
