Myles Mack scores 21, Kadeem Jack has 20 as Rutgers beats No. 4 Wisconsin
Rutgers forward Kadeem Jack, right, poses for a selfie with a fan after defeating Wisconsin in an NCAA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Piscataway, N.J. Credit: AP / Mel Evans
Myles Mack had 19 of his 21 points in the second half and Rutgers scored its biggest upset in school history, a 67-62 victory over banged up No. 4 Wisconsin on Sunday night.
Kadeem Jack added 20 points for the Scarlet Knights (10-7, 2-2 Big Ten), whose previous biggest upset was a win over No. 6 West Virginia in 1982.
A couple of dozen fans ran on the court after the final buzzer but the crowd of 6,887 was remarkably well restrained after the contest ended, possibly wondering how a team that lost to St. Peter's and St. Francis, Pennsylvania, earlier this season, knocked off a team that went to the Final Four last year.
Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes had 15 points apiece for Wisconsin (15-2, 3-1). The Badgers did not have leading scorer Frank Kaminsky for the game because of a concussion, and they lost guard Traevon Jackson early in the second half with an injury to his right leg.
Rutgers, which trailed by 12 entering the second half, shot almost 67 percent from the field after the break.
The Scarlet Knights, the worst shooting team in the Big Ten, hit 5 of 7 from 3-point range in the final 20 minutes and finished the game shooting 54 percent against the league's top-ranked defensive team.
Despite missing key players, Wisconsin held the lead until Mack hit two free throws for a 54-53 lead with 7:19 to play. A dunk by Malick Kone pushed the margin to 56-53 with 5:15 to go and two more free throws by Mack and a drive by Jack extended the lead to 60-53 with 3:13 to play.
Wisconsin made a final run. Two free throws by Zak Showalter and a drive and a 3-pointer by Hayes got the Badgers within 62-60 with 1:04 to go.
However, Mack drove the lane for a layup with 30.4 seconds left to build the lead to 64-60 and Jack made two free throws with 23.3 seconds left after Bronson Koenig (12 points) cut the lead to 64-62 with a jumper.
Wisconsin was 5 of 21 from 3-point range, with Dekker and Gassser a combined 0 for 9. This was the Badgers first loss in the conference and their first loss on the road this season.
TIP-INS
Wisconsin: Kaminsky's absence marked the first time in 77 games that a Badgers' starter missed a game because of an injury. The last time was against Milwaukee on Dec. 22, 2012.
Rutgers: Jack woke up Rutgers crowd early in the second half with a monster dunk. He made the mistake of hanging on the rim on the play and was called for a technical, setting up two free throws by Josh Gasser and a basket by Dekker.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin: hosts Nebraska on Tuesday.
Rutgers: visits No. 11 Maryland on Wednesday.
