Wisconsin Badgers had revenge on their minds when they went to Maryland on Wednesday night. Maryland came into the Kohl Center around Christmas time and pulled over a complete stunner against Wisconsin. Badgers played with a purpose immediately in this game. It felt like they were not only trying to get revenge against the Terrapins but also trying to rebound from their rough game on Saturday afternoon versus Ohio State. Things got a little hairy to finish, but Wisconsin got it done beating Maryland, 61-55. They never trailed in this game.

Player of the Game: Micah Potter – What a game from Micah. He had 23 points and 12 rebounds in one of his best performances this season. Potter did it all in this game. He worked the paint but also found the stroke from the outside. Wisconsin is going to need more of this from the senior. You cannot expect 23-12 each night, but you can hope that Potter starts producing double-digit results more often than not. This is the first time since December 31st that the forward scored over 15 points.

What went right for Wisconsin: They turned their defense up to 11- This is something we’ve now seen in the last three Badgers’ win. Tough defense making a difference for Wisconsin to be successful and win. They held Rutgers, Northwestern, and Maryland to under 60 points. In total, those teams averaged 53.6 points per game against Wisconsin. That’s a testament to their defense and potentially the switch from Nate Reuvers in the lineup to Tyler Wahl.

What went wrong for Wisconsin: The second-half drought got things a little nervy – Despite Potter’s big day, the rest of Wisconsin was ice cold. Because of that, Maryland started to go on a little run to start the second half. The Terrapins came close to making it a game. Thankfully for Wisconsin, they hit some shots where it didn’t matter in the long run.

Next up: Wisconsin stays out east and takes on Penn State. The Nittany Lions are scrappy. They gave Ohio State a game last night and will hope to do the same against the Badgers. Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State’s gym, has been a house of horrors for Wisconsin. We’ll see which style wins out in Happy Valley on Saturday.

Charlie.