No coach wants to play from behind — especially not from 22 points behind. That’s a big hole that’s almost always too much to overcome, particularly against a quality opponent. Regardless, incredibly, Wisconsin did it Wednesday night. The Badgers, down 22 late in the first half, outscored Indiana 44-17 in the final 21 minutes of their Big Ten opener to win 64-59.
“Hopefully nobody left early, in terms of fans,” said Wisconsin coach Greg Gard. “If they did, that will teach them to not give up on this team. I’m so proud of the grit, the fight, the togetherness.”
The 22-point deficit was the largest deficit any Division I men’s team has overcome in a win this season — and it actually represented the third time the Badgers have won this season after trailing by double-digits. They were down 16 points last month against Texas A&M before winning 69-59. Two days after that, they were down 10 points against Saint Mary’s but won 61-55.
“It’s easier to play when you’re down because then you get more aggressive,” said Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 78 seconds left and finished with 23 points and nine rebounds against the Hoosiers.
Wisconsin’s improbable comeback doubled as its 19th straight win at home over Indiana, which dropped to 7-2 on the season with zero wins over top-65 KenPom teams. The Badgers are now 8-1 with the lone loss coming in a game in which their best player and leading scorer (Davis) did not participate. Wisconsin remains No. 25 in Thursday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings.
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