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Three Important Takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers' 73-71 loss to USC

The Badgers held a double-digit lead with 12 minutes to play, but they weren't able to overcome a porous offensive performance
Cam Wilhorn|
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the second half of their game Sunday, January 25, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. USC beat Wisconsin 73-71.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the second half of their game Sunday, January 25, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. USC beat Wisconsin 73-71. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Madison, WI -- For the first time in 22 days the Wisconsin Badgers have lost a basketball game. They failed to extend their win streak to six games Sunday afternoon, falling to the USC Trojans 73-71.

The Badgers' offense, which was rated first in the country in offensive efficiency since Jan 1 (according to BartTorvik.com), came to a grinding halt.

Their 71 points were the fewest since facing Villanova on Dec. 19, and they shot just 34.3 percent from the field and 24.3 percent from the three-point line.

"Obviously, the numbers from a shooting standpoint tell a lot of the story." Greg Gard said postgame. "But I think that wasn't the entire thing, and you have to be able to overcome rough shooting afternoons."

Wisconsin's attention to detail and physicality came and went throughout the 40 minutes. The Badgers fell behind early, but chipped away at the deficit before erupting to start the second period. With 12 minutes to play, Wisconsin had a 12-point lead.

Then, they faded. Wisconsin had quality looks from all over the court fail to find nylon, yielded critical offensive rebounds and allowed the Trojans to build up enough momentum and confidence to come away with a win.

USC's length, Badgers shortcomings stunt paint scoring

The Trojans' starting lineup doesn't have a player above 6-foot-10. But when Chad Baker-Mazara (6'7), Ezra Ausar (6'8) and Jacob Cofie (6'10) share the floor, the trio's length is evident. Add in 6-foot-6 Alijah Arenas, and scoring inside is significantly more difficult.

"They're not super tall guys, but they got length, they play hard down there," Nolan Winter said. "Instead of trying to go through them maybe, you know, making some plays around them."

Wisconsin had four of its shots blocked and finished 10-for-20 on layups. In the second half, they made a measly five of 16 two-point attempts.

While USC's length may have impacted some of those misses, the Badgers' brought the issue upon themselves.

"I think we just beat ourselves up, like, little stuff at the rim," John Blackwell said. "(We have to) get back to our principles, like shot faking when guys are jumping or playing off two feet in traffic."

Badgers have no regrets with last possession

For segments of Sunday's game, Nick Boyd was the lone source of scoring for the Badgers. He tied with Baker-Mazara for the game high in points (29) while also chipping in six rebounds and three assists.

So, when Arenas missed a jumper with 14 seconds left while the Badgers trailed by two points, there was no questioning who'd have the game-winning shot.

Boyd drove toward the left corner before turning and making a beeline for the basket. Off balance, Boyd's reverse layup attempt hit front iron, and was rebounded by USC's Jerry Easter, who was fouled with two seconds remaining.

"I think I should have just took my time maybe a little bit more, but I was just trying to get downhill," Boyd said. "I got to where I wanted to, just missed it.

Greg Gard had a timeout at his disposal, but he opted to let his players play out the final possession -- a strategy he used against Minnesota when Blackwell hit the game-winning three-pointer.

"I thought about it," Gard said of using the timeout. "But (Boyd) was coming with a good speed and they were scattered, they were backpedaling... You put the ball in your better player's hands and try to make a play."

USC's second-half offense stabilized by free throw shooting

Baker-Mazara anchored the Trojans' offense for most of the game, hitting tough shots, including five three-pointers.

But it wasn't just Baker-Mazara who led USC out of the deficit. Instead, the team lived at the free throw line and made the most of their opportunities.

Wisconsin put USC into the Bonus with 7:48 to play, and they committed 10 personal fouls in the final 11 minutes. Six of their 11 second-half infractions were shooting fouls.

"I think we were bailing them out on some of (the fouls)," Blackwell said. "Like, just reaching, slapping. Little things that we talked about (pregame)."

In the second half, USC went 12-for-16 from the free throw line, helping offset their 34.5% field goal percentage.

The Badgers were well aware of the Trojans' ability to get to the free throw line before tipoff, as the team was tied for the team lead in free throw attempts per game (28.6). Ausar ranks second in FTA per game, individually.

Ausar's ability to get to the free throw line comes as a result of his offensive rebounding prowess. He gave Wisconsin fits down low in the second half, logging nine points, four rebounds (two offensive) and two blocks while playing the full 20 minutes. He attempted six free throws.

"We have to be able to guard better without fouling," Gard said. " We let them get to the bonus too quick, specifically in the second half."

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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