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Wisconsin beats Marquette: Game notes and top plays

An overview of some notable statistics, game notes, and top plays from Wisconsin's rivalry win over Marquette in men's basketball.

Matt Belz

In this story:

The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team (6-2 overall) added another marquee win to their resume, beating the Marquette Golden Eagles on the road at the Fiserv Forum. 

Even without starting point guard Chucky Hepburn for a large chunk of the second half, the Badgers did enough to escape with an 80-77 win in Milwaukee. 

Here is a look back at some game notes, and top plays from Wisconsin's win in the I-94 rivalry. 

Contents

  1. Game notes
  2. Top plays

Game notes

  • The game was the No. 129 meeting between the top two basketball programs in the state of Wisconsin.
  • The Badgers now hold a two-game win streak over the Golden Eagles and a 70-59 all-time series edge. 
  • Wisconsin has won three of the past four meetings, with two of the past five games needing overtime to decide the outcome. 
  • Both teams shot over 50% from the floor overall on Saturday, with the Badgers shooting a balmy 69.6% in the first half to open up an 11-point lead at halftime. 
  • There were five instances where the game was tied and only three lead changes. Two of the three lead changes came in the final minutes of regulation, as Wisconsin had a lead for over 37 minutes. 
  • Greg Gard picked up win No. 150 for his career on Saturday, which just so happened to be his birthday. He is now one of only four coaches in program history (Walter Meanwell, Bud Foster, and Bo Ryan) to reach that benchmark.
  • Chucky Hepburn notched his third consecutive game with at least 17 points and seven made field goals. The sophomore point guard played through a groin strain in the second half and finished the game shooting 5-of-6 from three-point range and leading the Badgers with 19 points. Hepburn has made a total of 11 threes in the past two games. 
  • Senior forward Tyler Wahl scored in double figures for the sixth time this year. He still ranks as Wisconsin's leading scorer at 14.5 points per game and he leads the team in rebounding as well at 7.1 per contest. He was right at his season average on Saturday with 15 points and seven boards. 
  • Junior transfer Max Klesmit won the game for the Badgers with a last-second layup through traffic. He finished the game with 13 points, after only scoring a combined two points in the previous two games against USC and Wake Forest. Klemsit played well on the defensive end with two key steals and also had four assists against Marquette. 
  • Freshman guard Connor Essegian booked his fifth-straight game with 10 or more points, pouring in 12 points on 50% shooting with four rebounds in the game. The young sixth-man played through foul trouble and came up with a pair of big three-pointers while Chucky Hepburn was out of the game to keep Wisconsin afloat offensively. 
  • Backup point guard Kamari McGee scored his first points in a Wisconsin uniform on Saturday. Playing in a season-high 10 minutes of action, McGee scored five points and grabbed two rebounds off the bench. 
  • Starting center Steven Crowl tallied a career-high seven assists against Marquette. He finished the game with eight points and four rebounds as well, but his passing ability came up big for the Badgers on Saturday. 

Top plays

#1: Max Klesmit hits the game-winner with only seconds remaining

The top play of the game has to be Max Klesmit's game-winning layup with 3.5 seconds left on the clock in overtime. Chucky Hepburn did a great job of going baseline and bringing the defense with him, and he found a cutting Klesmit for a tough layup in traffic. 

#2: Chucky Hepburn drills a stepback three late in regulation

Playing on a bum leg, Chucky Hepburn answered a late Marquette run with a huge step-back three with the shot clock winding down. It was one of five triples on the day for Hepburn, but arguably the most important in the game to help regain the lead late in the second half.  

#3: Steven Crowl throws it down with a two-handed slam

With Marquette on an 8-0 run in the second half and the Badgers in the midst of a scoring drought, center Steven Crowl delivered a huge two-handed dunk to quiet the Marquette crowd. Not only did he finish the dunk with authority, but he also completed the three-point play by making a free throw after being fouled. 

Wisconsin forward Steven Crowl dunking the basketball through traffic against Marquette.
Wisconsin center Steven Crowl dunking the basketball against Marqutte in the second half.  / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

#4: Chucky hits it from long range with the shot clock expiring

Chucky Hepburn was on fire from three-point range in the first half. Hepburn was a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes, and none were more impressive than this stepback triple with the shot clock winding down. The shot was from way downtown and helped give the Badgers an 11-point advantage at halftime. 

#5: Steven Crowl finds Klemsit wide-out with a pretty assist

With Marquette doubling the post, Steven Crowl did an excellent job of stepping back and finding a wide-open Max Klesmit who made a great backdoor cut to the rim. Crowl has showcased his passing ability this season, and this beauty was one of seven assists for the junior big man. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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