The Badgers fought, and fought, and then fought some more on Thursday morning in The Bahamas. Wisconsin overcame a 15-point second-half Kansas lead to take a three-point lead over the No. 3 team in the nation with under a minute to go.
A Kevin McCullar Jr. three tied the game and forced overtime, and it was a Bobby Pettiford Jr. acrobatic layup with 0.2 remaining that ended up being the difference. Kansas escaped with a 69-68 win, but Wisconsin looked like a team capable of much more than their predicted ninth-place finish in the Big Ten.
Freshman guard Connor Essegian was once again an offensive lift, Tyler Wahl led the way with 23 points, and the Badger defense unsurprisingly looked stout. Here is how Wisconsin Twitter reacted to the dramatic loss:
Certainly one to build on:
No rebounds, no rings:
Quite the fight:
Essegian special yet again:
Tough, but fair:
It was a long time coming:
This is only November!
I could see it:
Preparation:
Tough loss…
Maybe so…
A fun game for sure
Feast Week is the best:
A fantastic effort from Wahl and the Badgers:
A likable team that fought until the end:
Take it back!
It was fun!
One of the best in a long time:
They will finish higher than 9th:
Agreed:
Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire
