by MADISON, Wis. — On the heels of being tabbed Big Ten favorites and the preseason No. 4 team in the country, there is little doubt that excitement is high for Badgers basketball. That was only re-affirmed Sunday as more than 8,000 fans turned out for the team’s annual Red/White Scrimmage at the Kohl Center.
They were treated to one of the most entertaining Red/White Scrimmages of all time as the lead changed hands four times in the final minute. The final swing came when sophomore Bronson Koenig (Ho-Chunk Nation) nailed a pull-up jumper with 2.8 seconds left to propel the White squad to a 57-56 win.
The intrasquad scrimmage even included some controversy as senior Duje Dukan of the Red team seemed to drain a fadeaway 3-pointer at the buzzer. However, head coach Bo Ryan, who was sitting at the scorer’s table as a neutral observer, wiped it off saying that Dukan did not get the shot off in time.
“Little controversy, but that’s the final decision,” Ryan said with a smile. “It was a fun day and a great crowd. There has never been a line like there was today before we opened the doors. There is a lot of interest, and to get a crowd like this in October is a lot of fun.”
“It was a lot of fun today,” Dukan added. “After the Kentucky game everybody was anxious to come back in front of our home fans. I think we’re ready to go. We’re really excited that the fans came to support us today.”
A balanced attack led the White team to victory as four players scored in double figures, including 14 points apiece from sophomore Nigel Hayes and freshman T.J. Schlundt (4-for-4 from 3-point range). Sophomore Vitto Brown tallied 11 points and eight rebounds while Koenig tallied 10 points for White. Senior Josh Gasser contributed a balanced line of 8 points, 7 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists.
Senior Frank Kaminsky led all scorers, pouring in 23 points for the Red team. Dukan chipped in 15 points (2-for-2 from 3-point range). The two teams combined to go 15-for-29 (51.7 percent) from 3-point range.
Trailing by three points with just over two minutes remaining, White sprung a full-court press and converted a turnover into a 3-pointer from Koenig to tie the game at 52-52. A reverse dunk from Kaminsky pushed Red back into the lead, but Hayes responded with a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 55-54 edge in the final minute.
Two free throws from Dukan with 24.6 seconds remaining gave Red a 56-55 lead and set the stage for Koenig’s last-second heroics. The sophomore guard ran the clock down under five seconds before making his move and hitting the long jumper over Dukan’s outstretched arm for the win.
Wisconsin will host an exhibition contest against UW-Parkside on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center. The Badgers’ official season opener is Nov. 14 against Northern Kentucky.
Red/White Scrimmage
Box Score
WHITE 57
Nigel Hayes 14 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 steal, 35 min
T.J. Schlundt 14 pts, 27 min
Vitto Brown 11 pts, 8 reb, 1 block, 1 steal, 37 min
Bronson Koenig 10 pts, 1 reb, 4 ast, 32 min
Josh Gasser 8 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast, 1 steal, 34 min
Riley Dearring 2 reb, 1 ast, 22 min
Aaron Moesch 13 min
RED 56
Frank Kaminsky 23 pts, 5 reb, 2 steals, 33
Duje Dukan 15 pts, 4 rebounds, 1 ast, 34 min
Jordan Hill 7 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 17 min
Zak Showalter 6 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 31 min
Ethan Happ 3 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 2 blocks, 31 min
Traevon Jackson 2 pts, 2 ast, 32 min
Jordan Smith 1 reb, 13 min
Matt Ferris 9 min
