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Wisconsin dropped a heartbreaker to BYU, 91-89, in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. With that, the Badgers' 2024-25 season comes to a close.
Wisconsin was far from its best throughout the contest, starting from the opening tip. A high-powered BYU Cougars team captured early momentum, building a double-digit lead with 7:53 left in the first half thanks to relentless shotmaking and dominance on the offensive glass. BYU grabbed 26 rebounds (nine offensive) to Wisconsin's 14 in the first half. To make matters worse, the Badgers, the nation's best free-throw-shooting team, shot just 63% from the foul line in the frame.
Still, Wisconsin had plenty of chances to battle back, both in the first half and down the stretch. However, all of those chances seemed to fall in BYU's direction.
The first notable swing came with 20 seconds remaining in the first half. Wisconsin trailed by eight and held the ball with the shot clock unplugged. Steven Crowl, however, attempted an ill-advised jump shot with 13 seconds left. His shot missed, allowing BYU a chance to run down the court and steal three points before the break. That preventable five-point swing became significant in the game's closing moments.
Fast-forward 18 minutes of game time, the Badgers trailed by nine points with under two minutes to play. They then began what appeared to be a vintage March Madness comeback. Carter Gilmore converted an and-one layup to cut the deficit to six (89-83), BYU made two at the free-throw line (91-83), John Tonje nailed a three-pointer (91-86), BYU turned ball over, Tonje converted an and-one layup of his own (91-89) and Gilmore grabbed the ensuing BYU miss. Wisconsin trailed by two with the basketball and 13 seconds left.
Out of a timeout, John Tonje charged the length of the court, passed up a chance at a go-ahead three, drove to the baseline and missed a contested jump shot. With the miss, the Badgers' comeback hopes were eliminated. It marked an end to the team's season, a familiar feeling of postseason disappointment.
As we begin to unpack the loss, here first are some of the notable reactions from Wisconsin fans, and both local and national media:
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball BYU NCAA Tournament game social media reaction
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Wisconsin was far from its best throughout the contest, starting from the opening tip. A high-powered BYU Cougars team captured early momentum, building a double-digit lead with 7:53 left in the first half thanks to relentless shotmaking and dominance on the offensive glass. BYU grabbed 26 rebounds (nine offensive) to Wisconsin's 14 in the first half. To make matters worse, the Badgers, the nation's best free-throw-shooting team, shot just 63% from the foul line in the frame.
Still, Wisconsin had plenty of chances to battle back, both in the first half and down the stretch. However, all of those chances seemed to fall in BYU's direction.
The first notable swing came with 20 seconds remaining in the first half. Wisconsin trailed by eight and held the ball with the shot clock unplugged. Steven Crowl, however, attempted an ill-advised jump shot with 13 seconds left. His shot missed, allowing BYU a chance to run down the court and steal three points before the break. That preventable five-point swing became significant in the game's closing moments.
Fast-forward 18 minutes of game time, the Badgers trailed by nine points with under two minutes to play. They then began what appeared to be a vintage March Madness comeback. Carter Gilmore converted an and-one layup to cut the deficit to six (89-83), BYU made two at the free-throw line (91-83), John Tonje nailed a three-pointer (91-86), BYU turned ball over, Tonje converted an and-one layup of his own (91-89) and Gilmore grabbed the ensuing BYU miss. Wisconsin trailed by two with the basketball and 13 seconds left.
Out of a timeout, John Tonje charged the length of the court, passed up a chance at a go-ahead three, drove to the baseline and missed a contested jump shot. With the miss, the Badgers' comeback hopes were eliminated. It marked an end to the team's season, a familiar feeling of postseason disappointment.
As we begin to unpack the loss, here first are some of the notable reactions from Wisconsin fans, and both local and national media:
Wisconsin didn't play well, but it needed that win
Big Cat reacts:
J.J. Watt:
Even in the loss, John Tonje was fantastic
Wisconsin made critical mistakes in important moments
- BYU hit a few NBA threes.
- Crowl took the worst shot in recent memory.
- Tonje faded away from contact.
That’s it
No reason to Luke Fickell the basketball program too.
— The Red Shed (@TheRealRedShed) March 23, 2025
Wisconsin's postseason drought is...noteworthy
A lot of 'What-Ifs'
More reaction
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball BYU NCAA Tournament game social media reaction
Continue reading...
