NCAAB Game Preview - Northwestern at Wisconsin

Wed Mar 4, 2020 9:00 PM EST

Brevin Pritzl posted a highlight-reel basket in his next-to-last home game in a Wisconsin uniform.

The fifth-year senior drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner with 56.2 seconds left to give the Badgers a 67-66 lead over Minnesota, then drained two free throws with 11.7 seconds remaining to seal a 71-69 win on Sunday night.

On Wednesday night in Madison, Wis., the 24th-ranked Badgers' lone senior will be honored on Senior Night when Wisconsin (19-10, 12-6 Big Ten) puts its six-game winning streak on the line against visiting Northwestern (7-21, 2-16) at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said he has been pleased with Pritzl's accomplishments this season.

"He's just a senior that realizes he's headed toward the finish line, and he's playing some of his best basketball on a team that's playing its best basketball at the right time of year," Gard said of Pritzl, who had 15 points against Minnesota and averages 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Junior Nate Reuvers paces Wisconsin with 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while junior Brad Davison has elevated his game with double-digit scoring in four of his last five contests.

Davison tied a single-game program record with eight 3-pointers at Nebraska on Feb. 15, finishing with 30 points.

Entering the final week of regular-season action, Wisconsin is tied for second place in the Big Ten standings with Illinois and Michigan State. They are one game back of Maryland.

Northwestern scored the first seven points in the extra session and secured an 81-76 overtime win on Sunday at Nebraska. The Wildcats snapped a 12-game losing streak, with their only two Big Ten wins both coming against the Cornhuskers.

Sophomore Miller Kopp posted a game-high 21 points in Lincoln and is the Wildcats' scoring leader at 13.3 points per game.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins said he liked the fact that his team was able to "gut it out" in overtime on Sunday.

Lack of experience has doomed Northwestern this season. The Wildcats' roster has few upperclassmen -- two juniors, one senior and graduate transfer Pat Spencer.

Spencer, who played collegiate lacrosse at Loyola Maryland, averages 10.6 points and 3.8 boards.

--Field Level Media

"We've had our struggles finishing games," said Collins, whose team's losses include a nine-point setback at Maryland and a four-point overtime loss at Rutgers.

"We got a lot of young guys out there who are going through this for the first time; they're trying to figure it out."

Northwestern hosts No. 20 Penn State in its regular-season finale Saturday. Wisconsin travels to Indiana for its final game Saturday.

--Field Level Media