Max Klesmit scored 20 straight second-half points for Wisconsin, finishing with a season-high 26, and the 11th-ranked Badgers bounced back from their first conference loss with a 91-79 victory over visiting Indiana on Friday night.
Wisconsin (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten), which lost 87-83 at Penn State on Tuesday, extended its home winning streak to 20 consecutive games over the Hoosiers to remain atop the Big Ten.
Klesmit, a Wisconsin native in his second season with the Badgers after two season at Wofford, hit 8 of 11 shots, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and 5 of 6 free throws.
AJ Storr had 15 points and Steven Crowl and John Blackwell 12 apiece for the Badgers.
Malik Renau had 28 points and Mackenzie Mgbako 17 for Indiana (12-7, 4-4 Big Ten).
Wisconsin led 39-26 at the half and pushed the lead to 49-33 on consecutive 3-pointers by Klesmit.
Indiana answered with a 9-0 run, pulling within 49-42 on a steal and breakaway dunk by Payton Sparks. Klesmit then scored Wisconsin’s next 12 points over a span of 1:26 to put the Badgers in front 61-44.
The Hoosiers’ CJ Gunn was ejected shortly afterward for elbowing Klesmit in the face during a dead ball. Klesmit hit both free throws to extend his scoring run to 20.
Carter Gilmore scored underneath to cap the 18-2 run that put Wisconsin up 67-44 with 12:07 left. The Hoosiers got within 79-68 on a three-point play by MgBako with just under 4 1/2 minutes remaining.
Wisconsin backup guard Kamari McGee was helped from the court with an apparent leg injury with 7:13 remaining and did not return.
The Badgers overcame a slow start with a 13-2 run to go in front 18-12. McGee hit two free throws to extend the lead to 26-16 with 5:21 left in the half.
Wisconsin is the only one-loss team in the Big Ten. Second-ranked Purdue, No. 14 Illinois and Northwestern each have two conference losses.
–Field Level Media