The streak continues. For the 21st straight time, Indiana men’s basketball lost a game at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
A dismal start created a hole too deep for the Hoosiers to overcome, as they fell 76-64 to Wisconsin on the road Tuesday.
It didn’t take long for Indiana to fall behind.
Wisconsin made six of its first seven shots from beyond the arc en route to a 26-4 lead to open the game. Indiana shot 2 for 11 from the floor during that stretch.
The Hoosiers have lost six of their last seven games.
Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice and freshman forward Bryson Tucker’s quality play helped cut the Hoosiers’ deficit to 40-28 at halftime, after trailing by as many as 22 points. The Badgers shot 9 for 16 from the 3-point line in the first half as six different players made shots from beyond the arc.
Early in the second half, senior forward Goode drilled a deep shot to cut Wisconsin’s lead to 11 points — the closest Indiana reached in its attempted comeback.
Despite the Badgers cooled off shooting, the Hoosiers were unable to pair defensive stops with consistent offensive production. Wisconsin led by as many as 23 points in the second half.
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako led the Hoosiers’ scoring with 15 points. Outside of Mgbako, only Goode and Rice reached double-digit scoring.
The loss drops Indiana to 5-7 in Big Ten play and 11th in the conference standings. The Hoosiers’ road will remain daunted with high-level competition, facing six Quad 1 opponents across their remaining eight matchups.
Indiana will return home to face No. 24 Michigan at 1 p.m. Saturday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
