The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans on Friday evening, looking to pull off their second Top 10 upset in a row after beating the No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini 92-90 on Tuesday.
In the win, Wisconsin overcame a 12-point deficit with eight minutes left in the second half to send the game to overtime, where they outmatched the Illini in a thriller and got the victory as star guard Keaton Wagler missed a three with time expiring.
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It was a good game from Wisconsin’s top two guards in the second half, as Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined for 49 points in the win, while also dishing out nine assists. Austin Rapp was a big factor off the bench, scoring 18 points and hitting four threes, including a pair of clutch triples late in the second half.
Now, the Badgers face a rested Michigan State team that is coming off an 85-82 win over Illinois on Saturday. Star guard Jeremy Fears Jr. had 26 points and 11 assists in the win. He’s been a force all year, averaging 15.1 points and 9.1 assists per game this season for the Spartans.
Michigan State hasn’t played since Saturday, so they’ll be the more rested team against a Wisconsin squad that has played its starters heavy minutes over the past month. The Spartans are 20-4 this season, but they’ve had two losses recently, falling to the Michigan Wolverines at home and the Minnesota Gophers on the road.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin has won nine of their last 11, which includes multiple wins over top 10 teams. Can they get another one on Friday evening?
