CHICAGO (AP) – Bronson Koenig and No. 6 Wisconsin turned up the pressure in the second half. Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker were everywhere, their strong defense creating easy chances for baskets.
In short, the Badgers made an impressive argument for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Top-seeded Wisconsin advanced to the Big Ten final with a 71-51 victory over Purdue on Saturday. The Badgers trailed by five at the break, then overwhelmed the Boilermakers in the second half for their fifth straight victory. Wisconsin held Purdue to six field goals and 24 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes.
“When we’re doing good on the defensive end, it makes the offense even more fun, because one thing leads to another,” Dekker said. “We have the guys who can get it done on both ends.”
Koenig scored a career-high 19 points while Dekker and Nigel Hayes had 15 points apiece. Kaminsky shook off a slow start and finished with 12 points, five assists, three steals and three blocks.