Wisconsin wins Big 10 tourney in OT over Michigan State

CHICAGO — Top seed Wisconsin scored 11 unanswered points in overtime to complete a Big Ten championship sweep with an 80-69 victory over Michigan State in Sunday’s tournament finale at the United Center.

The regular-season champion Badgers (31-3) rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit and back into contention late in the game while forward Nigel Hayes scored seven points in the extra session.

No. 6 Wisconsin claimed the Big Ten’s automatic NCAA berth with the overtime win — the first in Big Ten tournament history — while the Spartans (23-11) earned a No. 7 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament and will face Georgia, which is the 10th seed in the East Region. They will play Friday in Charlotte, N.C.

Hayes also closed with a game-high 25 points and was 12-for-12 from the free throw line. Forward Frank Kaminsky had 19 and was named tournament most outstanding player, guard Bronson Koenig finished with 18 while reserve forward Duje Dukan added 11.

Michigan State, making its third title game appearance in four years, was led by forward Branden Dawson and guard Denzel Valentine with 16 apiece while reserve guard Bryn Forbes had 10.

Wisconsin trailed 57-46 in the second half when Koenig launch a comeback with a 3-pointer and added another with 4:19 left to give the Badgers a temporary 60-59 lead.

Guard Lourawls Nairn’s 3-pointer then put Michigan State up 62-60 as the teams exchanged leads three times and tied four times. The last in regulation came on Koenig’s two free throws for a 69-69 deadlock.

A potential game-winning shot by Dawson rolled in and out as regulation time expired.

In the first half, Michigan State outscored Wisconsin 10-5 in the final 3:25 for a 32-31 halftime lead after a half that saw with seven lead changes and five ties. The Spartans opened a 32-28 lead after a turnover by Koenig and a rebound put back by forward Marvin Clark with 25 seconds showing. But Wisconsin narrowed the deficit to 32-31 as Kaminsky hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. It was the Badger’s fifth successful shot from beyond the arc in the half.

NOTES: Wisconsin and Michigan State have met eight times in the Big Ten tournament but never for a title. … The Badgers claimed a 68-61 win in March in the long regular season meeting behind F Frank Kaminsky’s season-high 31 points. … The Badgers’ two previous Big Ten tournament title came in wins over Illinois in 2004 and 2008. … Wisconsin’s 31 wins match an all-time record for wins in a season set in 2007-08. … The Badgers are 16-12 against the Spartans under head coach Bo Ryan but Michigan State holds a 75-63 all-time series lead. … Spartan F Branden Dawson averaged 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in his last five Big Ten tournament games entering Sunday and was the 2014 tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. … Michigan State rallied from a 16-point deficit on Saturday vs. No. 2 seed Maryland, the largest comeback win since Jan. 28, 2004, in a 23-point comeback to an overtime win at Minnesota.