The semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament did not disappoint, and the stage is now set for the championship game. Read more for takeaways:
Final Scores
Wisconsin 77, Michigan State 74
Michigan 81, Maryland 80
Takeaway #1: Tonje willed the Badgers to the finals
When you think of an exciting college basketball game in March, this game between Wisconsin vs. Michigan State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament is precisely what comes to mind. The two teams were neck and neck for the entire first half, with Wisconsin finishing the first half with a four-point lead and a score of 37-33.
Their lead continued into the second half, and thanks to some successful free-throw attempts and star guard John Tonje’s incredible offense, the Badgers were able to pull away from the Spartans. It was intense until the end, as Wisconsin led 72-70 with 1:01 left. In fact, Tonje finished the game with an imposing 32 points. And while Michigan State did make multiple runs, hit some crucial shots, and brought the score highly close in the final minutes, it was not enough for them to come out on top, and the Badgers walked away with the win and a spot in the championship game, with a final score of 77-74.
Along with his 32 points, Tonje grabbed seven rebounds and two assists. He made his presence known on the court and had a very notable block that saved the game. He shot 8-for-15, 4-of-10 from downtown, and 12-of-14 from the stripe. He always responded quickly and had answers for Michigan State.
The Spartans certainly did put up a fight, however. Jase Richardson has started in 11 games this season. In doing so, he produced double figures for each game. He is also the first player for Michigan State to score 20 points in a Big Ten Tournament appearance since the 2017 quarterfinals by Miles Bridges.
“I think the guys and I really just bought in today and just kind of saw those looks. We saw things open up when we were able to execute what the coaches gave us. I just want to give a shout out to them.” Tonje said after the game.
Takeaway #2: Michigan’s bigs and their double-doubles
When comparing the Michigan vs. Maryland game to the Wisconsin vs. Michigan game, the stakes were just as high, and so were the competition and excitement. At halftime, Michigan was in the lead, 38-34.
Once the second half began, the Wolverines took off and took an 11-point lead over the Terrapins with 13:26 left to play, thanks to a Will Tschetter dunk assisted by Tre Donaldson. They went on a thrilling 18-0 run, which marked the longest unanswered run from Maryland this season. They kept this lead until Maryland went on a 10-0 run, allowing the Terrapins to trail by one and bringing the score to 61-60. From there, the score remained tied for virtually the rest of the game, where it indeed came down to the team who had the ball in the last possession. This team was Michigan, and the Wolverines walked away victorious thanks to some stellar guard play, with a final score of 81-80. The crowd was absolutely electrifying. Their energy was transferred to the court as both teams worked to counteract each other’s 3-pointers and fast-tempo play.
A key to this victory? Well, more like two takeaways- Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin. The two were undoubtedly the power duo of the night. Wolf approached the backboard hot as he grabbed 14 assists. Goldin closely followed with 10.
In addition, the two totaled 46 points (Wolf with 21 and Goldin with 25). With these two standing tall for Michigan, the Wolverines outrebounded the Terrapins 47-18. This was the highest rebound margin of victory for any team in a Big Ten Tournament game for the past 20 seasons. If they continue this, Wisconsin will need a solid game plan ready.
Derik Queen was the main threat that Wisconsin had to work hard to overcome. By the end of the game, he had 31 points, the most ever by a Maryland player in a Big Ten Tournament game.
Head coach Kevin Willard spoke highly of Michigan during the press conference,
“Give Michigan credit; they made some good plays down the stretch. We just couldn’t get a stop down the stretch. It’s a good basketball team. Proud of my guys’ effort,” said Willard.
Takeaway #3: Sunday will not disappoint
After an exhilarating Big Ten Tournament, the stage is finally set for Sunday’s championship game, where the Wisconsin Badgers will take on the Michigan Wolverines.
The Badgers will play in the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the second year in a row. They have also just marked the second year in a row that they have eliminated the No. 1 seed of the Big Ten Tournament in the semifinals. Mar. 16 will be the Badgers’ ninth time in program history that they play in the championship game.
Last season, Michigan was at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference. They totaled three conference wins and 17 losses. Looking at their overall schedule, they only beat eight teams and lost to the other 24. They last had a single digit in the overall win column during the 1981-82 season. Dusty May has turned this program around wholly, and it will be exciting to see if he can bring them home in the season’s final stretch. This will also serve as good competition as the Wolverines approach the NCAA tournament.
The Big Ten championship game can be watched on CBS at 3:30 p.m. EST.
[…] catch a break during this game as Wisconsin continuously hit their shots left and right. During the semifinal, the Badgers had yet another impressive upset against the regular season Big Ten Champion, Michigan […]