In a gut wrenching semifinal clash that came down to the final seconds, the fifth-seeded University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (26-8, 13-7 Big Ten) punched their ticket to the Big Ten Tournament championship game with a hard-fought 77-74 victory over top-seeded Michigan State (27-6, 17-3) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Graduate student John Tonje delivered a performance for the record books, pouring in 32 points to set a new Wisconsin program record for most points in a Big Ten Tournament game.
Back-and-Forth Battle
Unlike their three-point barrage against UCLA, the Badgers found themselves in a defensive slugfest early.