INDIANAPOLIS- Wisconsin scored 15 of the game’s last 19 points and got 20 from Frank Kaminsky as the Big Ten champion Badgers upended top-seeded Kentucky, 71-64, in a national semifinal game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Wildcats, seeking to become the NCAA’s first unbeaten champion since 1976, were limited to a single field goal in the game’s last six minutes. Instead, Wisconsin used a 34-22 rebounding edge to advance to its first national championship game since 1941.
Nigel Hayes knotted the score for the game’s 11th time, 60-60, and took a 63-60 lead on a 3-pointer by Sam Dekker. Dekker finished with 16 points, Hayes and Bronson Koenig each added 12. Koenig and Kaminsky combined for six free throws in the game’s final 30 seconds to seal the victory and deny the Wildcats their chance at history.
Kevin Kugler and Clark Kellogg called the action on Westwood One Sports.