Syracuse vs. Wisconsin: Score, Reaction for 2016 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Syracuse Orange are known for their stifling zone defense, but the Wisconsin Badgers had no trouble picking them apart Tuesday at the Kohl Center on the way to a 77-60 victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. 

The 17th-ranked Badgers moved to 6-2 on the campaign and 4-0 at home, while the 22nd-ranked Orange dropped to 4-2.

Wisconsin was balanced on offense throughout, as Ethan Happ (24 points), Bronson Koenig (20 points) and Vitto Brown (10 points) all finished in double figures. Happ tallied a double-double with 13 rebounds, while Nigel Hayes did a little bit of everything. 

The senior forward nearly posted a triple-double, scoring nine points, dishing out 10 assists and grabbing 11 boards. He went 1-of-3 from the free-throw line, costing him his chance. CJ Moore of Bleacher Report praised Hayes' ability to dissect the zone from the middle with his ball movement:

Wisconsin made 11 three-pointers and out-rebounded Syracuse, 40-25.

Hayes did more than just facilitate the offense. He guarded Andrew White III at times in the second half and held Syracuse's leading scorer without a point in the second half. White still scored 14 points but couldn't generate the same looks with Hayes defending him.

The Orange also struggled from deep, finishing 6-of-23.

The Badgers jumped out to a quick 21-10 lead within the first seven minutes behind five made three-pointers in seven attempts. They were swinging the ball through and around Syracuse's 2-3 zone, and Brown's wide-open shot from long range forced the Orange to call an early timeout. 

Evan Flood of 247Sports pointed to Hayes' ability to facilitate:

Basketball insider Adam Zagoria said Hayes was "flashing his inner Joakim Noah with these passes in the high post," while the Big Ten Network shared an example of him carving up the defense:

Things got worse for Syracuse when leading rebounder Tyler Lydon picked up his second foul before the 10-minute mark in the first half. Foul trouble was a theme throughout the first half, as Lydon, Tyus Battle, DaJuan Coleman and Tyler Roberson each had at least two for Syracuse. Hayes, Koenig and Zak Showalter also had two for Wisconsin.

Despite the fouls, Syracuse trimmed the deficit to 43-39 by halftime after trailing by as many as 14 thanks to the brilliant play of White and its advantage on the charity stripe. White scored 14 points behind four three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, while the Orange hit all 10 of their free-throw attempts.

On the other side, Happ and Koenig each had 11 points at the break for the Badgers.

Wisconsin gave itself some breathing room again with an 11-2 run by the under-16-minute timeout of the second half. Koenig hit two threes during the stretch, and the Badgers were ahead 54-41.

Rob Dauster of NBC Sports described why Hayes' presence was key even though he had just two points:

Hayes also started the second half guarding White III, which helped slow the Syracuse playmaker.

Wisconsin extended its opening run to 15-2, and Donna Ditota of the Post-Standard called it an "offensive clinic." Happ scored the last two baskets of the spurt as he consistently found his way to the rim, where Hayes kept finding him.

The Badgers continued to gradually pull away and ended any realistic chance of a Syracuse comeback by pounding the glass in addition to staying efficient on offense. Wisconsin's slower tempo also effectively worked the clock, and Happ's and-1 with just more than three minutes remaining made it 73-57.

Ditota noticed a similar theme:

The only remaining drama was whether Hayes would finish with a triple-double, but he missed a free throw in the final minute that would have given him the 10 points he needed.

What's Next?

Following the loss, Syracuse now enters a winnable stretch of games. It doesn't go on the road again until Jan. 1 against Boston College and will play old Big East rivals Connecticut and Georgetown in that stretch.

Wisconsin stays home to face Oklahoma and Idaho State before a road game with in-state rival Marquette.

Both teams will be challenged during conference play, so notching victories against big-name teams in the nonconference portion of the schedule will bolster their resumes for Selection Sunday.

Postgame Reaction

Hayes joked, "I've never been so hurt after a win," after missing the free throw that would have given him the triple-double, per Flood.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard suggested his team's early struggles helped on Tuesday, per Flood: "Getting slapped around by North Carolina, getting knocked around by Creighton a little, helped us."

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim discussed the loss, per Genaro Armas of the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "Our defense was not good the whole game, and our offense slipped in the second half. But we just didn't cover the shooters."

Boeheim also praised the opponent, per Wisconsin Basketball: "This is a really good Wisconsin team. We knew how good they are. They did a great job moving the basketball."

If the Badgers play like they did Tuesday, they will prove Boeheim right in Big Ten play.