| [4] Wisconsin 62, PURDUE 55 Madison, Wis. | Kohl Center (17,279) - Box Score | Box Score  | SoundCloud Audio | Interviews | Photos  | Media CenterSocial Media: @BoilerBall  | Facebook  | Instragram | SoundCloud |
Isaac Haas scored 11 points in the loss to Wisconsin.
#BoilerNotes
- Purdue shot zero free throws in a half for the first time since Feb. 8, 2014, vs. Ohio State, when it shot zero in the opening half.
- Purdue failed to register a block for the first time since Feb. 27, 2013, vs. Iowa.
- Purdue's five three-point attempts equaled the fewest of the Matt Painter era and were the fewest since shooting just five against Michigan on Feb. 9, 2013.
- Purdue lost for the first time this year when holding opponents to 69 points or less, now 9-1 on the season.
- Wisconsin's 39 field goal attempts were the fewest Purdue has allowed since Southern Illinois had 39 attempts on Nov. 26, 2010.
- During its first three Big Ten games, Purdue has now held foes to a combined 45 points under their average. Wisconsin entered the game averaging 75.1 points per game.
- Purdue outrebounded Wisconsin, 26-21. The Badgers entered the game ranked second in the Big Ten in rebound margin (+7.6).
- Purdue lost for the first time this year on a day other than Monday and Saturday. Is now 8-1 on those days of the week.
- Purdue dropped to 4-2 this year when shooting better than 48.0 percent from the field. The Boilermakers are now 80-11 under Painter when that happens.
- Rapheal Davis has now held Andre Hollis, Caris LeVert and Sam Dekker to 6-of-25 (.240) shooting and a combined 19 points.
- Isaac Haas and A.J. Hammons combined for 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting. The duo did, however, have six of Purdue's 12 turnovers.
- Jon Octeus tallied a season-high 15 points, his fifth straight double-figure scoring game. He added eight rebounds and over the last five games, is averaging 12.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg, while shooting 21-of-30 (.700) from the field.
- A.J. Hammons has scored in double-figures in five straight games and in 11 of his last 12 games overall (Vanderbilt - 5 points).
- Isaac Haas recorded his first double-figure scoring game of the Big Ten season with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
- Kendall Stephens has now made a three-pointer in 43-of-48 career games and has 104 career three-pointers.
MADISON, Wis. --Fourth-ranked Wisconsin was outshot and outrebounded, but used an overwhelming advantage from the free throw line to grind out a 62-55 victory over Purdue, the Badgers' toughest nemesis since coach Bo Ryan took over in Madison.
Frank Kaminsky scored 21 points Wednesday night and the Badgers (15-1, 3-0 Big Ten) pulled away from a 45-all tie with a 9-2 run to open a 54-47 lead on Josh Gasser's free throw with 3:19 left.
Wisconsin, which has won eight straight since an 80-70 loss at home to Duke in early December, maintained a two-possession lead the rest of the way to prevent the Boilermakers from becoming the first Big Ten opponent to win four games at the Kohl Center.
''It was good to grind out a win like this, low-scoring,'' Gasser said. ''We had to fight the adversity, stay mentally tough. That's what we needed.''
The Badgers, coming off their first consecutive games of scoring 80 or more points in Big Ten play since 1992, offset a 43.6 percent shooting night by making 25 of 31 free throws, including 15 in the final 9:11.
''It's obvious that we got more free throws, but in order to get those free throws and get to the free throw line, we had to do certain things,'' said Ryan, whose teams are 99-14 at home in Big Ten play. ''But that was part of our game plan, too. Plus, a lot of those came when they had to foul at the end. I would say six or eight of them, at least.''
Purdue, which was called for 24 fouls to 12 for Wisconsin, went to the free throw line seven times, making three. The Boilermakers averaged 28 free throws in their first two conference games.
''The game was won and lost on the free throw line,'' Purdue coach Matt Painter said. ''We had to be able to get to the free throw line and we didn't. And they were able to get there.''
Gasser had 15 points for Wisconsin, which shot 3 of 14 on 3-pointers.
''I don't think we jacked any bad ones, it's just the ball wasn't finding the net,'' Ryan said. ''But, if we can still play like that on defense and make teams work and try to get them out of some kind of comfort zone - and there wasn't much of that in the game for either team - to come out with a win, that's a gutty performance by our guys.''
Jon Octeus had 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds for Purdue (10-6, 2-1), which shot 51 percent from the field. A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas added 11 points apiece.
Kendall Stephens, who entered as Purdue's leading scorer at 11 points per game, was limited to 12 minutes by foul trouble.
''That was a big loss for us,'' Painter said. ''He's got to be able to adjust with those calls. But he was hand-checking those guys and those were good calls. But we didn't have the level of a shooter that can stretch the defense that's made big shots before.''
Wisconsin, which made a season-high 12 3-pointers and shot 52.6 percent from the field in Sunday's 81-58 rout of Northwestern, struggled with its shooting in the first half. The Badgers went 9 of 24 for 37.5 percent, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Wisconsin, however, had a 10-0 advantage in points off turnovers en route to a 28-27 lead at the break.
Purdue, whose 55 points were a season low, entered 10-10 against the Badgers under Ryan, the only Big Ten team against which he did not have a winning record.
''This would have been one to be a fan,'' Ryan said. ''To see two teams going at each other like this. And, whoever said basketball had to be pretty? Nobody. It was a grind and I think there's going to be more of those in the league this year, too.''
TIP-INS
Purdue: The Boilermakers were looking for their second 3-0 start in Big Ten play under Painter.
Wisconsin: Junior forward Sam Dekker became the 17th Badgers player to top the 1,000-point mark in three seasons - and 39th overall - when he slammed home a one-handed rebound of Gasser's missed 3-pointer with 4:55 left in the first half. Kaminsky needs four points to reach 1,000.
SPECIAL GUEST
Former Wisconsin player John Brady, who scored one career point, was recognized on his 92nd birthday during a timeout in the second half. Then-Badgers coach Bud Foster put Brady in against Minnesota in his final game on Feb. 25, 1944, before Brady left to serve in the Navy during World War II.
BO'S BIG TEN MILESTONE
Ryan won his 159th Big Ten game, surpassing Walter ''Doc'' Meanwell for the most conference victories by a Badgers coach. ''He's an interesting guy. He could have done a lot more than coaching,'' Ryan said. ''As I've said 100 times - to be mentioned in that same sentence is exciting.''
RARE RESULT
It was just the 11th time under Painter that Purdue has lost when shooting 48 percent or better, compared with 80 victories.
UP NEXT
Purdue hosts Maryland on Saturday.