MADISON – No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (24-5 overall, 15-4 Big Ten) hosted No. 8 Purdue Boilermakers (24-6 in total, 13-6 Big Ten) on Tuesday night in only the fourth game in the top ten ever played in Madison. With the victory, the Badgers would win at least part of the title in the regular season of the Big Ten, after being selected to take tenth place in the conference during pre-season training.
Purdue had a hot hand early, connecting with multiple threes to take an early lead. Matt Painter’s game plan was obviously to get someone other than Johnny Davis to beat him, and to some extent it worked. Davis and Brad Davison would have combined for one goal of the game in the first half, but Chuckie Hepburn stepped up and stole the show.
The original guard played exceptional basketball on both sides of the court, leading the Badgers with 11 points from the first half and one theft. Tyler Wall added nine points and two of his own thefts.
CHUCKY HEPBURN IS AN OBSESSED MAN.
– Bucky’s 5th Quarter (@ B5Q) March 2, 2022
Throughout the half, Greg Guard received valuable minutes from Ben Carlson, Chris Vogt, Jacobi Neath and Jordan Davis, giving UW a 33-28 lead at the break.
Wisconsin increased their lead to 11 in the second half before becoming icy cold with Chuckie Hepburn on the bench due to foul problems. The Badgers missed seven consecutive shots, and during that period Purdue continued 14-2 to take a one-point lead.
As they did throughout the season in intense matches, the Badgers responded largely to Tyler Wall’s game. The teenager finished with a team high of 19 points.
With the game on the line, the Badgers and Boilermakers continued to exchange baskets, keeping the game within one possession. Leading with one point, Johnny Davis tried to make contact with a deep shot from two points, but failed to do so … BUT THE BANK WAS OPEN. Of course, Jaden Ivy went down to the floor and tied the game with his own three.
Gard chose not to take a timeout and, as I said, the BANK WAS OPEN. Chuckie Hepburn got his moment. The freshman went down to the court and did banking in a game that won a step back three with 1.5 seconds left. Chills.
The team selected to finish tenth in the Big Ten won a share of the title in the regular season. Victory on Sunday and the badgers won it straight. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Remarkable statistical lines:
- Johnny Davis -> 16 points (5 of 12 from the floor), eight rebounds, one assist
- Tyler Wall -> 19 points (8 of 14 from the floor), two rebounds, two assists, five steals
- Chuckie Hepburn -> 17 points (5 of 13 from the floor), two assists, one theft
- Jaden Ivey (Purdue) -> 22 points (8 of 15 from the floor), five assists, five rebounds
It follows: The Badgers host the Nebraska Kornhaskers on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT to try to win a clear title in the conference. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.