Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers defeat Panthers, 81-75

Despite being down 14 points in the first half, the Wisconsin Badgers rallied in the second half to hold off the Pittsburgh Panthers 81-75 to win the Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division Championship. 

The Pittsburgh Panthers, one of Ken Pomeroy’s top 25 best teams coming into this game, stormed out to a 9-4 lead before the under-16 timeout. That lead ballooned to 25-11 after the eight-minute timeout. Wisconsin’s offense failed to connect on one single three-point attempt until Nolan Winter cashed in on one three-pointer at the beginning of the second half.  

Florida State transfer Cameron Corhen was sensational in the first half for Pittsburgh, scoring 11 points as the Panthers entered halftime with a 34-27 halftime lead. Wisconsin started the second half strong from an offensive standpoint. The Badgers shot 4-for-6 from the field before the Panthers called a timeout, with Pittsburgh ahead 38-36. Just when the Badgers tied the game up, Guillermo Diaz Graham converted on a layup and was fouled by John Blackwell, swinging the momentum back to Pittsburgh. 

Wisconsin took their first lead of the second half, 51-50, thanks to a 6-0 run from two John Tonje free throws, a Nolan Winter dunk, and a Tonje layup. Both teams failed to separate substantially, as the Badgers led 60-58 thanks to a Max Klesmit three-pointer. 

With the score tied 62-62, Kamari McGee started a 9-2 Badgers run by hitting a clutch three-pointer, and Wisconsin grew the lead to 71-64 with 4:15 left in the game. Pittsburgh came back within one, but another clutch three-pointer from McGee made it 74-70 with under three minutes left in the championship game. Pittsburgh was held to one field goal the rest of the game, as Wisconsin held off Pittsburgh to win. 

John Tonje, whom Greg Gard described as one of the best players in the country, led the Badgers with 33 points, including 10-for-10 at the free-throw line.     

Jump around, Badger fans. Your basketball team is 7-0.