March Madness 2022: Wisconsin outlasts Colgate 67-60 as Johnny Davis leads comeback

Johnny Davis provided a easy rationalization for the way Wisconsin stepped up down the stretch to keep away from a first-round upset.

“We simply stopped being lazy on protection and non-fundamental,” the All-America guard and Huge Ten participant of the yr mentioned. “That’s all it was.”

Davis scored Wisconsin’s final 14 factors and completed with 25 because the Huge Ten co-champion Badgers got here from behind to beat Colgate 67-60 within the first spherical of the NCAA Event on Friday evening.

The third-seeded Badgers (25-7) snapped Colgate’s 15-game successful streak and superior to a second-round recreation Sunday in opposition to No. 11 seed Iowa State (21-12). The Cyclones defeated LSU 59-54 earlier Friday.

Wisconsin trailed by as many as 5 within the second half earlier than happening a 10-0 run and holding Colgate scoreless for greater than seven minutes. Wisconsin coach Greg Gard agreed with Davis’ blunt evaluation of what brought on the turnaround.

“No less than he is sincere,” Gard mentioned.

Davis confirmed he’s all the best way again from the injured left ankle that knocked the Huge Ten participant of the yr out of the Badgers’ regular-season finale. Davis returned for the Huge Ten Event however shot 3 of 19 in a quarterfinal loss to Michigan State, which additionally superior Friday evening.

After capturing 3 of 11 within the first half, Davis caught hearth when the Badgers wanted him. Steven Crowl’s 3-pointer put Wisconsin forward for good at 53-52 with 8:08 remaining.

From that time on, Davis took over.

“That was a giant shot by Steve,” Davis mentioned. “I really feel like I’ve performed it earlier than, however my teammates have quite a lot of confidence in me — so do the coaches — to shut a recreation out.”

Davis’ teammates have seen him do that every one season and battle to explain his influence.

“I am speechless,” Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn mentioned. “I’ve obtained no phrases to say. I simply give him the ball and get out of the best way.”

Tyler Wahl added 15 factors and 9 rebounds for Wisconsin.

Nelly Cummings scored 20 factors and Tucker Richardson had 15 for Colgate, which shot 10 of twenty-two from 3-point vary to just about topple Wisconsin.

Colgate entered the evening second within the nation in 3-point proportion (.403) and twelfth in 3-pointers per recreation (9.9). That long-range assault sizzled within the second half because the Raiders threw a scare into the partisan crowd that shaped a sea of purple at Fiserv Discussion board, which is about 80 miles east of Wisconsin’s campus.

“I have been to quite a lot of nice venues on this nation: Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Palestra, Rupp Enviornment, Phog Allen Fieldhouse,” Colgate coach Matt Langel mentioned. “I do not suppose I’ve ever been in an setting higher than the one for a school basketball recreation tonight. That sometimes would not occur in NCAA Event video games.”

The 14th-seeded Raiders (23-12) made six of their first seven 3-point photographs within the second half, with Richardson going 4 for 4 from past the arc within the first 5 minutes.

Colgate led 52-48 after Jeff Woodward transformed a three-point play with 10:40 left, however the Raiders wouldn’t rating once more till the three:33 mark.

“Wisconsin amped up their defensive depth a bit of bit extra,” Langel mentioned. “Tucker obtained unfastened a few instances. They weren’t going to let him get unfastened anymore. The sport obtained a bit of bit extra bodily, as you’d count on from a Huge Ten champion within the guts of a detailed recreation.”

BIG PICTURE

Wisconsin: Davis did not rating within the first 10 1/2 minutes however was enormous when it mattered. The Badgers will want him to proceed exhibiting that second-half kind if they will make a deep run.

Colgate: The Raiders nonetheless have not received an NCAA Event recreation, however they’re exhibiting they’ll compete with anybody. They gave Tennessee all it might deal with earlier than falling 77-70 in 2019, and so they blew an early 14-point lead in an 85-68 loss to Arkansas final yr.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin faces Iowa State on Sunday for a spot within the Badgers’ first Candy Sixteen since 2017.