RECAP: Wisconsin basketball drops heartbreaker to Penn State to close regular season

Wisconsin basketball (23-8, 13-7 Big Ten) suffered a devastating 86-75 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions (16-15, 6-14 Big Ten) on Saturday at the Kohl Center.

In as unlikely an outcome as any for Wisconsin this season, the Badgers struggled mightily to contain Penn State’s offensive attack in the second half. Wisconsin allowed 51 points in the final 20 minutes of play and was outscored by 16 in the frame.

The Badgers did receive stellar first half contributions from star wing John Tonje, veteran Kamari McGee and center Steven Crowl to build an early 13-tally advantage. The three playmakers, all honored on UW’s senior day, combined for 28 of Wisconsin’s 40 first half points.

The Nittany Lions closed the first half on an 8-0 scoring spurt to make it a five-point affair. Mike Rhoades’ team then rode that momentum into the second stanza. Within the first three minutes of play in the second half, Penn State knotted the contest at 45 apiece through a healthy combination of inside and outside scoring.

The two teams traded blows for the ensuing nine minutes of action before Penn State’s D’Marco Dunn nailed a pair of three-point field goals to turn a 60-59 deficit into a 65-60 edge with 7:17 left. From then on, the Nittany Lions never relinquished the lead.

Tonje and sophomore John Blackwell would cut the deficit to just two points with under three minutes remaining through a relentless attack towards the basket and proficient shooting from beyond the arc. However, Dunn and forward Zack Hicks did not relent on the offensive end. When the buzzer sounded, the Nittany Lions held an 11-point lead.

Shooting woes ultimately plagued the Badgers once more on Saturday. UW shot just 3-of-14 from deep in the second half and 10-of-35 from the floor in the closing stretch. Penn State, meanwhile, capitalized with an 18-of-30 clip from the floor and 6-of-11 mark from outside. For the game, Wisconsin shot 36.2% from the floor and 32.3% from deep. Compared to PSU’s 56.4% mark from the field and 57.9% from deep, that creates an insurmountable advantage.

In his final game at the Kohl Center, Crowl finished with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes. Blackwell also added 19 tallies, five boards and two steals, while Tonje notched 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes of play. Dunn, who spearheaded Penn State’s offensive attack, dropped 25 points off 10-of-12 from the field.

With the loss, Wisconsin’s trajectory in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament now remains in question. With this type of defeat, specifically at home, it will be difficult to for Gard’s group to jump to a No. 2-seed in March Madness.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Recap Penn State Loss Stats