After falling to Maryland 70-64 on December 28, allowing the Terrapins to score 38 points in the paint, the 14th ranked Wisconsin Badgers turned the tables last night, pulling out a 61-55 win in College Park.
Everything went well for the Badgers in the first half, has they jumped out to an 18-point halftime lead.
Wisconsin knew Maryland would deliver a punch in the second half and the Terrapins did. But the Badgers (13-4, 7-3 Big Ten) took that punch and survived, handing Maryland (9-8, 3-7) it’s seventh conference loss this season.
Micah Potter finished with season highs in points with 23 and rebounds with 12 to lead the Badgers. Senior guard D’Mitrik Trice added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.
Maryland opened the second half with an 8-0 run, then added another nine straight points to cut Wisconsin’s 18-point lead to just three. That’s when Brad Davison drilled a three-pointer and Potter helped extend the lead again to put the Badgers in control. But it wasn’t pretty. Wisconsin failed to score a field goal in the final seven-plus minutes and still held off the Terrapins.
Aaron Wiggins had 19 points and Donta Scott added 13 for Maryland, which was seeking its second straight win over a ranked opponent after beating Minnesota last Saturday.
Potter hit 8 of 12 from the field and went 4 of 6 from three-point distance, after being held to four points and five rebounds in the Dec. 28th matchup in Madison.
The Badgers will now play back-to-back games against Penn State, on the road Saturday and back in Madison on Tuesday.
AUDIO: Micah Potter on 23 pts and 12 reb. after 4 & 5 in December loss to Maryland :21
AUDIO: Greg Gard says it was good to get Micah Potter going offensively :12
AUDIO: Greg Gard on Micah Potter’s big night :22