NCAA News Wire
Wisconsin 78, Minnesota 70
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MADISON, Wis. — Guard Ben Brust scored 20 points, and No. 21 Wisconsin knocked off Minnesota 78-70 Thursday night at the Kohl Center.
Breaking out of a month-long shooting funk, Brust finished 5-for-7 from the field and made all four of his 3-point attempts. He sank just 10 of 40 3-point tries over the previous six games.
Brust finished one point shy of tying his season high. He also grabbed six rebounds.
Forward Frank Kaminsky went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line and finished with 17 for Wisconsin, which also got 15 from forward Nigel Hayes and 10 from forward Sam Dekker.
Unlike the first meeting, when the Gophers shot 59 percent from the field in a 77-70 victory, Minnesota shot just 45.1 percent (23 of 51) and committed 13 turnovers. The Gophers (16-9, 5-7 Big Ten) sank nine of 17 3-point attempts Thursday.
Guard Andre Hollins made six of 12 shots and four of six 3-pointers to lead the Gophers with 22 points. Guard Malik Smith added 14 for Minnesota, which got within five on Hollins’ 3-pointer with 1:20 left but couldn’t get over the hump. Minnesota lost for the fourth time in five games.
The Badgers shot 48.8 percent (21 of 43) from the floor and hit six of 15 3-point tries.
Wisconsin (20-5, 7-5) struggled early, making just three of 11 shots to open the game. Minnesota started 5-for-9 and made two 3-pointers to take a 14-9 lead.
The Badgers tied it on two free throws by Kaminsky, part of a 11-1 run that gave Wisconsin an 18-15 lead after Hayes’ steal-and-dunk.
Guard Josh Gasser, Dekker and Brust extended the lead with 3-pointers, and Wisconsin went into the break up 35-28 after Minnesota guard Daquein McNeil sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
NOTES: The Badgers reached 20 wins for the 11th time in coach Bo Ryan’s 13 seasons in Madison. Wisconsin won at least 20 games for the eighth consecutive season, the second-longest streak in the Big Ten behind Ohio State. … Minnesota lost for the 16th time in its past 17 games in Madison. The Gophers’ only victory at the Kohl Center came during the 2008-09 season, which was also the last time Minnesota swept the season series.
