Wisconsin can't close out Indiana, as the Badgers fall to the Hoosiers in overtime

On its sprint to the regular season finish line, the University of Wisconsin tripped out of the starting gate.

The Badgers started its critical February stretch on the wrong foot, unable to close the door in the final minutes of regulation and overtime in a 78-77 defeat to Indiana at Assembly Hall Saturday afternoon.

An afternoon where Wisconsin trailed by as many as 14 points, had leads in the final minute of regulation and overtime, allowed one field goal over the final 12:32 of game time, and got a career-high 26 points from Nolan Winter ended with Lamar Wilkerson hitting two free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining.

Braeden Carrington's desperate half-court heave was way high off the backcourt, ending an afternoon where the Badgers will be kicking themselves in multiple areas.

Nick Boyd had 20 points, six assists, and only two turnovers in 41 minutes, but he was whistled for an offensive foul after extending his arm into Conor Enright with 15 seconds left and UW leading by one.

The final moments from another huge overtime win for @IndianaMBB 🎬🔥 pic.twitter.com/dQR7ziYu3i
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 7, 2026

John Blackwell had 18 but started 1-for-8 in a first half that saw the Badgers trail by as many as 14 points. His winning jumper in the closing seconds didn't come off his hands clean and bounced off the front rim, and his fifth foul on Wilkerson on Indiana's final offensive series effectively sealed UW's fate.

Wisconsin held Indiana to a season-low five three-pointers in Big Ten play, but the Badgers allowed the Hoosiers to score 44 points in the paint and dictate tempo. UW was held to no fast-break points for the first time all season.

Wilkerson was 1-for-8 from three but scored 25 points by going 7-for-12 on twos and 8-for-8 from the line. Forward Sam Alexis scored a season-high 19 points (9-for-10) and was one of four Hoosiers (16-8, 7-6 Big Ten) in double figures, including 11 points from Connor Enright. The senior was averaging 4.6 points but took advantage of the absence of reserve guard Taylor Conerway (illness).

Wisconsin (16-7, 8-4) entered with wins in seven of its last eight but has to play five of its seven February games on the road, including games against six Quad-1 opponents. Indiana was in the same boat, squarely on the tournament bubble with three upcoming matchups against top-15 ranked teams.

The Hoosiers looked more desperate. Indiana jumped on Wisconsin early and kept attacking, hurting the Badgers with their dribble penetration and points at the rim as opposed to its usual three-point shooting.

Indiana averaged 10.6 made 3-pointers per game, which is fourth in the Big Ten and 27th nationally, and 10.9 triples per league game, but the Hoosiers were 5-for-17 on threes and 20-for-27 on twos through the first 30 minutes.

Wisconsin's first half was a roller coaster. In catch-up mode from the start, going scoreless on its first six possessions and digging a 7-0 hole, the Badgers' offense missed 15 of their first 20 shots, scored only 10 points in the paint, and didn't generate a free throw.

The real issue was UW's lack of defense. After missing multiple open shots, Indiana dialed things in with eight consecutive buckets, a combination of drives to the rim and perimeter shots that built a 26-12 lead with 8:26 remaining.

Whatever was said in the Wisconsin huddle during the timeout worked. Starting with Winter's three pointer, UW's 14-4 run brought the Badgers back within a working margin.

Winter and Boyd scored 15 of Wisconsin's final 18 points over the closing stretch, and UW's defense forced eight misses and two turnovers in the final 7:15.

Any momentum generated from that late surge was gone by the start of the second half. Despite the Badgers shooting 60 percent through the first 10 minutes, Indiana grew its lead back to double digits by shooting 69.3 percent from the floor.

What it means: Wisconsin will have plenty of opportunities to add quality wins to its profile this month, but the Badgers aren't doing themselves any favors when they constantly are falling behind by double digits. Saturday was the fourth straight game that it's trailed by at least 10 points, something that isn't sustainable against the teams upcoming on its schedule.

Star of the game: Winter brought Wisconsin back into the game in the first half and gave the Badgers a pulse when nothing was working. He was UW's most efficient shooter and defender, as he finished with a career-high 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds and two blocks.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin didn't shoot its first free throws until the 12:40 mark of the second half, as the Badgers failed to take advantage of a Hoosiers team that ranked 296th in fouls per defensive play (24.9 percent). UW finished 11-for-12 from the line.

Reason to be Concerned: Blackwell's first half was eerily similar to his play at the beginning of December when he struggled to generate offense and looked disengaged defensively. Blackwell was 1-for-8 in the first half and consistently made things hard on himself with his shot selection. Not only did he not attempt a free throw, but Blackwell also had two of his shots blocked.

Don’t overlook: With Austin Rapp (illness) unavailable, Wisconsin needed some quality minutes from freshman forward Aleksas Bieliauskas. It was a struggle, as he went 0-for-3 from the floor and struggled to defend Indiana's quicker guards. He played only 14 minutes (none after the 13:43 mark of the second half), as the Badgers were outscored by 12 when he was on the floor.

What’s next: Wisconsin has a quick turnaround to prepare for a road test against one of the nation's hottest teams in Illinois. The Illini (20-3, 11-1) are riding a 12-game win streak, the longest active winning streak in the Big Ten, third among Power Five teams, and sixth nationally.

Since moving to the point guard position at the beginning of December, freshman Keaton Wagler is averaging 20.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 50 percent shooting from the field, 47.6 percent from three, and 80.6 percent from the line, leading the Illini to a 14-1 record during this stretch.

The Badgers broke a nine-game losing streak to the Illini with a victory in Madison last February. UW hasn't won in Champaign since 2019. The tip from the State Farm Center is at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on Peacock and televised on NBCSN.

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