Ohio State strives to hand Wisconsin rare home defeat
Facing Wisconsin on its home court will present a challenge for Ohio State in a Big Ten matchup Saturday afternoon in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin (15-6, 7-3) overcame an 18-point halftime deficit in a 67-63 home victory over Minnesota on Wednesday, tied for the largest second-half comeback in school history.
Ohio State (14-6, 6-4) turned back a second-half rally for an 84-78 victory over visiting Penn State on Monday, its third win in four games.
John Blackwell had 23 points and Nick Boyd scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half to pace the Badgers to their comeback victory, their 11th straight win over Minnesota.
Wisconsin shot 17.9% (5 of 28) from the field in the first half and 70% in the second (14 of 20), including 9 of 15 from deep. The Badgers also were 13 of 18 from the free-throw line in the second half after going 3 of 4 in the first half.
"Aggressiveness. Physicality. We had a pulse," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said when asked about the second half. "We initiated things better. We were attacking better. We got to the free-throw line. I thought we were just tougher in all aspects of the game."
The Badgers, 11-2 at home this season, bounced back from a 73-71 home loss to USC on Sunday in a game in which they let a 12-point second-half lead slip away. Wisconsin has won 26 of its last 30 home games.
Wisconsin averages 82.8 points a game and allows 74.7. Boyd averages 20.0 points and Blackwell 18.4. Nolan Winter adds 13.9 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game.
"They're led by their two guards, a big-time backcourt," Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said Tuesday on his radio show. "It should be a good, hard-fought classic Big Ten road battle."
John Mobley Jr. had 25 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points, to pace Ohio State past Penn State. Freshman forward Amare Bynum added 15.
Ohio State averages 82.2 points per game, giving up 72.6. Bruce Thornton averages a team-best 19.6 ppg and Mobley 16.1. Thornton, Devin Royal and Christoph Tilly each average more than 5 rebounds per game.
Tilly and reserve guard Gabe Cupps did not play vs. Penn State due to injuries. Their statuses have not been updated.