Johnny Davis had 16 points and 15 rebounds, including the game’s final six points, to help No. 11 Wisconsin hold off Minnesota 66-60 in a Big Ten Conference game Sunday afternoon in Madison, Wis.
E.J. Stephens hit a 3-pointer and then a pair of free throws to pull Minnesota even at 60-60 with 2:23 left. Davis scored on a layup and then hit the second of two free throws. His stepback jumper put the Badgers up 65-60 with 23 seconds left.
Wisconsin (17-3, 8-2 Big Ten) moved into a first-place tie with Illinois, which hosts the Badgers on Wednesday.
Tyler Wahl, in his second game back after missing Wisconsin’s 86-74 loss to then-No. 14 Michigan State with an ankle injury, had 15 points. Brad Davison scored 14 points and Steven Crowl had 11 as the Badgers won for the ninth time in 10 games.
Davison, who became Wisconsin’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made in a 73-65 win at Nebraska on Thursday, was 4 of 9 from beyond the arc, but the rest of the Badgers were a combined 2 of 10.
Payton Willis had 17 points and Jamison Battle added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota (11-7, 2-7), which has lost six of seven.
Minnesota, which trailed 32-25 at the half, pulled even at 42-42 with just over 12 minutes left on Stephens’ jumper as Wisconsin missed six consecutive field goal attempts.
Chucky Hepburn and Davison countered with consecutive 3-pointers to put the Badgers up 48-42.
In the opening half, Wisconsin hit four shots in a row, going in front 22-12 when Lorne Bowman II converted a three-point play. The Gophers answered with a nine-point run, but Wisconsin pushed the lead to seven at the break.
Wisconsin had a 10-0 advantage in points off turnovers in the first half and an 18-8 edge on points in the paint.
Wisconsin evened the all-time series with Minnesota that began in 1900 at 104-104.
–Field Level Media
