No. 7 Michigan outlasts No. 19 Wisconsin 61-52
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jon Teske had 17 points and 12 rebounds, holding his own inside against Ethan Happ, and Charles Matthews scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half to lift No. 7 Michigan over No. 19 Wisconsin 61-52 on Saturday.
The Big Ten-leading Wolverines (22-2, 11-2) avenged one of their only losses this season despite going 0 for 10 from 3-point range in the second half. Michigan led 51-50 in a tight defensive struggle before pulling away with eight straight points.
Happ had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Wisconsin, but the Badgers (17-7, 9-4) had their six-game winning streak snapped. That run began with a 64-54 win over then-undefeated Michigan last month.
Happ had 26 points and 10 rebounds in that game, and it looked like he was headed to a similar output. He dominated early and had 14 points by halftime, but the 7-foot-1 Teske began containing him, and Happ picked up a crucial third foul early in the second half.
Wisconsin hung around until late, before Matthews put Michigan up 55-50 with a shot from the baseline. He then beat the shot clock with another jumper, making it 57-50 with 23.8 seconds to go.
BIG PICTURE
Wisconsin: Happ was out for over nine minutes after picking up that third foul, and the Badgers played Michigan nearly even in that stretch. It was a solid performance on the road for Wisconsin, but the Badgers' star big man began to struggle against Teske.
Michigan: This was a crucial victory for the Wolverines in their conference title chase. Teske showed his ability in a tough matchup, and Matthews provided enough offense on a day when some other Wolverines shot poorly.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Michigan went unbeaten this week. Wisconsin managed a road win at Minnesota before the loss at Michigan, so the Badgers probably won't drop far.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin: The Badgers host Michigan State on Tuesday night in another matchup with significant implications for the Big Ten title race.
Michigan: The Wolverines play at Penn State on Tuesday night.