HAPPy New Year: Happ's 28 points lead way in win over Indiana

Tuesday, January 2

Madison, WI

6 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

9-7, 2-1

Indiana

8-7, 1-2

Indiana

Wisconsin

Photo by: Darren Lee

HAPPy New Year: Happ's 28 points lead way in win over Indiana

January 02, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score VIDEO: Highlights, Reaction Photo Gallery Box Score

Badgers earn 16th-straight win over Hoosiers in Madison

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Ethan Happ had 28 points in one of his best all-around efforts of the season, and undermanned Wisconsin overcame another injury to beat Indiana 71-61 on Tuesday night.

Happ hit 11 of 17 shots, adding nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks for the Badgers (9-7, 2-1 Big Ten). They won their fifth straight game despite being without starting guard Brevin Pritzl, who was scratched 90 minutes before tipoff with a head injury.

Brad Davison added 14 points for Wisconsin, which extended its winning streak over the Hoosiers (8-7, 1-2) in Madison to 16 games.

Collin Hartmann led Indiana with a career-high 18 points, hitting 4 of 8 from behind the arc off the bench. Robert Johnson added 14 points and five assists.

But Indiana had no answer for the 6-foot-10 Happ, Wisconsin's athletic, do-it-all forward.

After trailing by three at halftime, the Badgers took over slowly and led by about 10 for most of the last five minutes. Happ muscled his way around three defenders for an offensive rebound and putback for a 62-51 lead with 4:34 left.

Happ added four assists, including a pass out of the post to an open Davison on the wing for a nine-point lead with 6:51 left. Indiana's Josh Newkirk slipped on the other end with the ball for a turnover to camp the momentum-swinging stretch for Wisconsin.

Hartman had 13 points in the first half to help Indiana take a 33-30 lead at the break. But the Hoosiers ended up falling to 0-4 this season on the road.

BIG PICTURE

Coach Greg Gard's team continues to get tested with backcourt injuries after Pritzl joined fellow guards D'Mitrik Trice (foot) and Kobe King (knee) on the sideline. Freshman Brad Davison is already playing through a shoulder injury, and 6-foot-5 Khalil Iverson's game is more suited to a small-forward role. The only other healthy true guard is former walk-on T.J. Schlundt, a junior who earned his scholarship before this season. Six-8 Aleem Ford, who normally starts at forward, also picked up backcourt minutes.

Iverson had 10 points and Ford scored nine.