On Tuesday night, the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Oregon Ducks 61-58 in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Badgers were led by a strong performance from guards Brad Davison and D’Mitrik Trice, who combined for 33 points and 7 assists. However, it was the play of forwards Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter that ultimately sealed the victory.
Reuvers and Potter combined for 24 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting a combined 11-for-19 from the field. Reuvers was especially impressive, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. Potter also contributed 10 points and four rebounds, while shooting 4-for-7 from the field.
The Badgers also got a huge lift from forwards Tyler Wahl and Aleem Ford, who combined for 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Wahl was particularly effective, scoring seven points and grabbing five rebounds in just 15 minutes of action.
The Ducks were led by guards Payton Pritchard and Will Richardson, who combined for 33 points and nine assists. Pritchard was especially impressive, scoring 20 points and dishing out seven assists in 37 minutes of action. Richardson also contributed 13 points and two assists, while shooting 5-for-10 from the field.
The Badgers were able to pull away late in the game thanks to the play of forwards Taylor Klesmit and Jonathan Hepburn. Klesmit scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in just 13 minutes of action, while Hepburn added five points and four rebounds in just nine minutes of action.
The Badgers will now face off against the Richmond Spiders in the NIT quarterfinals on Thursday night. With a win, they will advance to the semifinals and have a chance to compete for the NIT championship.
