Wisconsin versus Iowa State: game-defining statistics and players of the game
The Wisconsin Badgers put together their worst performance of the year on Sunday afternoon in a five-point loss to Iowa State.
Here is a look at three statistics that played a key role in determining the outcome, and two players that stood out from the game.
Game defining statistics
2-of-22
The Badgers picked a bad time to have their worst shooting game of the season. Wisconsin shot 2-of-22 (9%) from behind the three-point line and 29.8% from the floor overall. While the Badgers were 8-of-13 on layups, they were only 8-of-32 on shots outside of the paint.
Johnny Davis specifically struggled from three, shooting 0-of-7, and in the end, their inability to make shots as a team bit them.
Sometimes the game of basketball is simple, and Wisconsin didn't shoot well enough to win on Sunday.
17 turnovers
Days after only turning the ball over five times against Colgate, the Wisconsin Badgers recorded a season-high 17 turnovers against Iowa State.
Chucky Hepburn's ankle injury that sidelined him for most of the game played a key role, but it was a team effort, as six different players from Wisconsin had multiple turnovers.
Greg Gard summed his team's turnover performance nicely in postgame:
"We were number one in the country in fewest turnovers. Today we were not. It's a one-game playoff."
In a low-scoring game with a razor-thin margin of error, the Badgers beat themselves at times with uncharacteristic miscues against Iowa state.
14 minutes
Point guard Chucky Hepburn was limited to only 14 minutes on Sunday night due to an ankle injury. With Lorne Bowman already away from the program due to a non-COVID illness, Wisconsin did not have the bench players to weather the injury.
Without Hepburn on the floor, Iowa State was able to sag away from Jahcobi Neath and throw an extra defender in the lane to protect the rim against Tyler Wahl, Johnny Davis, and Wisconsin's inside game.
At the time of the injury, the Badgers had a three-point lead and momentum. The Cyclones would go on a 6-0 run immediately following Hepburn leaving the floor and would not look back.
In the end, Wisconsin did not shoot the ball well enough and put together a bad overall performance, but the Badgers sorely missed their starting point guard during the final 24 minutes of the game.
Players of note
Game MPV: Gabe Kalscheur (Iowa State)
The former Minnesota guard absolutely killed the Badgers on Sunday.
With 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting, Kalscheur was the difference for Iowa State. He consistently came up with big shots for the Cyclones and lead all scorers in a low-scoring game.
Runner-up: Brad Davison (Wisconsin)
In the final game of his Wisconsin career, Brad Davison put together an admirable performance. While his overall numbers were not amazing, he was second on the team in scoring with 12 points and also added four rebounds and four assists.
Davison left it all out on the court and was seemingly always around the ball. He held Izaiah Brockington to only 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting and deserves a ton of credit for his gritty effort.
Ultimately, it was not enough for the Badgers to get the win, but it is hard to place the blame on Davison who was 3-of-7 from the floor and 1-of-3 from three-point range.
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