The Big Ten’s perfect start is no more.
No. 6 seed BYU held on for a dramatic 91-89 win over No. 3 Wisconsin Saturday, handing the Big Ten its first loss of the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten is now 10-1 in tournament play.
BYU set the tone early that an 11-0 Big Ten start was not meant to be. The Cougars jumped out to a 23-14 lead at the midway point of the fist half then extended it to 47-36 at the break. Wisconsin struggled to slow a BYU attack that was hot inside and out.
Wisconsin made a stand at the start of the second half, cutting its deficit to 52-48. But the Cougars quickly extended the lead back to double digits and appeared to be cruising to victory before some late-game drama.
With 3:11 remaining, officials ejected BYU’s Dawson Baker for a flagrant 2 foul for what they deemed “non-incidental contact to the groin.”
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BYU led, 86-76, at the time of the flagrant foul. Baker was ejected, and Wisconsin was awarded two free throws and possession.
John Tonje made both free throws, and Wisconsin outscored BYU 13-5 from there to cut its deficit to 91-89 in the game’s final minute. But Wisconsin’s last-gasp effort fell short in the game’s final seconds.
Wisconsin had possession of the ball with 13.5 seconds and a chance to tie the game or take the lead on a 3-pointer. The Badgers ran isolation for Tonje, who carried the ball over half-court and attacked the right side of the basket.
But his contested baseline jumper missed the mark, and BYU secured the rebound to hold on for the win.
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With the win, BYU advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. Wisconsin becomes the second-highest seeded team to lose in the tournament after No. 2 St. John’s fell to No. 10 Arkansas earlier Saturday.
Richie Saunders led the BYU effort with 25 points as one of four starters to score in double figures. The Cougars shot 49.2% from the field and a sizzling 46.2% (12 of 26) from long distance. They also hit 15 of 16 (93.8%) free-throw attempts.
Tonje led Wisconsin in the losing effort with 37 points, four rebounds and four assists on a night where he hit 14 of 16 free throws. But his big effort ultimately fell just short of securing victory for the Badgers.
Big Ten teams were previously 10-0 in the first two rounds of the tournament, with Purdue and Michigan having already advanced to the tournament’s second weekend.
Each of the eight Big Ten participants (Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan, Oregon, Michigan State, Illinois, Maryland and UCLA) won in the the first round. In a season filled with well-deserved hype around the SEC, the Big Ten staked its own claim to excellence early in the tournament. The Bruins lost to Tennessee late Saturday to drop the Big Ten’s record to 10-2.
It still stands as a strong start. But it’s no longer perfect.
