Wisconsin

Ohio State falters late, drops home defeat to No. 15 Wisconsin

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

Ohio State falters late, drops home defeat to No. 15 Wisconsin

Home court has been the gold standard in Big Ten play. When the sun came up on Value City Arena on Wednesday morning, conference teams playing inside their own arenas had won nine straight Big Ten games and 14 of the last 15.

Ohio State, and by extension its home building, did not play along. With No. 15 Wisconsin in the house, the Buckeyes (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) battled, held a lead with nearly five minutes to play but fell, 71-60, to the Badgers (12-3, 4-0).

The loss is Ohio State’s second in a row leading into Monday’s noon tip at Michigan.

Max Klesmit, who came in averaging 7.2 points per game, put Wisconsin ahead for good with a 3-pointer that made it 57-56 with 5:16 to play as part of a 10-0 run for the Badgers. Wisconsin would close the game on a 19-4 run

Scoreless at halftime, Klesmit scored all 18 of his points during the second half to power the Badgers.

Trailing 48-42 as the midpoint of the second half approached, Ohio State mounted a comeback thanks to Okpara. A Battle drive and finish against Chucky Hepburn made it 48-44, and two possessions later Okpara was in position to collect a Bruce Thornton 3-point miss.

He scored, drew a foul, flexed both of his arms and hit the free throw with 10:35 left to pull within one. Wisconsin got the ball to its primary post player, Steven Crowl, when he snagged an offensive rebound, but Okpara rejected the shot attempt with authority.

The Buckeyes then capitalized with a Scotty Middleton 3-pointer from the left wing, reclaiming the lead at 50-48 and marking an 8-0 run. Not only that, but it got the crowd roaring for the first time all night, giving Ohio State some much-needed extra juice.

It just wouldn’t be enough.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy

The Buckeyes led for 16:37 of the first half but went into the locker room trailing 35-33 at the half. Battle’s fourth 3-pointer of the half came on a feed from Evan Mahaffey in the post, giving Ohio State a 33-29 lead with 1:49 to play, but Wisconsin’s John Blackwell answered 17 seconds later by swishing a 3-pointer over Battle to pull within a point.

The Buckeyes committed a shot clock violation when Mahaffey got stuck with the ball under the rim as the horn sounded, and with 46 seconds left Connor Essegian hit a 3 to set the halftime score. Both teams would have one more possession, but Gayle misfired on a 3 that gave Wisconsin the ball with about 20 seconds left and Chucky Hepburn missed a 3 at the buzzer.

It was a 6-0 run for the Badgers, who trailed by as many as eight points with 7:51 to play. It was Battle who gave the Buckeyes that 25-17 lead when he threw in a 3-pointer just before the buzzer after Thornton had kept the possession alive by tracking down a loose ball deep in Ohio State’s backcourt along the sideline.

The shot came a minute and a half after another dramatic make: with the shot clock about to expire, Battle collected the ball, stepped just behind the arc and swished the shot as the crowd roared in anticipation before the ball even left his fingers. He closed the half with 14 points and was 4 for 5 from 3-point range.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

10 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

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Wisconsin

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

Published

22 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.

We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.

There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)

Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).

Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).

Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).

Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).

Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).

Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).

Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).

Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).

Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).

Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).

Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).

Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).

Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).

Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).

Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).

Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).

Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).

Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).

Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).

Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).

About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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