Northwestern’s appointment book previewed a heavy work week.
The Wildcats started it Sunday with a 17-point comeback at Michigan and will end it hosting a game against No. 6 Purdue. Sandwiched in between was Wednesday’s visit from the Big Ten’s hottest team, No. 13 Wisconsin.
Northwestern couldn’t withstand the Badgers’ late hot streak in a 60-50 loss at Welsh-Ryan Arena, making Saturday’s date even more important.
“That’s a winnable game and the guys are disappointed,” Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said.
A victory could have plugged the Wildcats back into the national rankings after they were featured there briefly a few weeks ago for the first time since 1969. One against Purdue still might do the trick for the Wildcats who are trying to build a can’t-refuse NCAA tournament resume by March.
The Badgers didn’t look invincible, but they found a hot hand at the right time while Northwestern never could find its touch in the second half.
“It’s real frustrating,” Northwestern’s John Shurna said. “Once it comes to crunch time we have to step up instead of just hanging with them.”
After an 0-for-3 first half, Wisconsin guard Trevon Hughes found his rhythm late in the second when the Badgers needed him most. He scored 14 points in a four-minute span, hitting four 3-pointers to provide a 55-48 lead with less than 3 minutes to play.
After both teams hit nearly everything in the first half, neither could make anything for much of the second half.
While the game remained close, few would describe this as riveting basketball.
Wisconsin and Northwestern went without a field goal for nearly eight minutes in the second half as the score lingered in the 30s.
Northwestern endured 8 minutes, 34 seconds without a basket before the crowd erupted when Shurna made a field goal with 6:13 remaining for a 45-44 lead.
Shurna led the Wildcats with 15 points.
Then Hughes, the same player who led the Badgers to a victory against Duke earlier in the season, couldn’t miss.
A game after scoring a career-high 20 points on 60 percent shooting in a victory against Purdue, Wisconsin senior guard Jason Bohannon was off to a hot start against Northwestern. He scored 15 points in the first half, but only four after that.
The Badgers could have used the efforts of one of their missing top players.
Forward Jon Leuer, who averages 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, is out indefinitely with a broken left wrist he suffered in the Badgers’ victory Saturday against Purdue.
A solid 3-point shooter like Leuer would have helped the Badgers. They made just 7 of 26 on threes.
Of course, Northwestern fans, who are missing Kevin Coble and John Ryan to injuries, don’t want to hear any whining from Badgers fans.
After connecting on 45.8 percent of their first-half shots, the Wildcats made just 7 of 21 after halftime.
The Wildcats still have a chance coming up to notch a significant victory in the Big Ten.
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sryan@tribune.com
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