Wisconsin Badgers vs Saint Mary's Gaels Match Player Stats On Nov 24, 2021

Johnny Davis scored 20 points and Tyler Wahl added 18 to lead Wisconsin to a 61-55 victory over Saint Mary's on Wednesday in the final of the Maui Invitational at Las Vegas.

Wisconsin (5-1) overcame a 10-point second half deficit for its third consecutive tournament victory over a previously undefeated team.

The Badgers, who trailed 37-27 early in the second half, rallied for a 50-46 lead with 4:27 left as Wahl's layup capped a seven-point run.

Saint Mary's (6-1) pulled within 54-53 on a 3-pointer by Alex Ducas. Brad Davison hit the second of two free throws to put Wisconsin up 55-53. Tommy Kuhse missed the front end of the bonus for the Gaels with 1:21 left.

Wahl hit a turnaround jumper from the paint and then hit two free throws for a 59-53 lead with 27 seconds left.

Wisconsin made 16 of 18 free throws to become the first Big Ten team to win the Maui Invitational since Illinois in 2012. The Badgers also scored 13 points off 16 Saint Mary's turnovers.

Wisconsin shot 37.5 percent from the field, including 3 of 12 from 3-point range.

Ducas had 13 points, Logan Johnson added 12 and Dan Fotu 11 for the Gaels, who shot 42 percent from the field and were 4 of 15 from behind the arc.

Wahl, who had 12 points in the second half, made 6 of 9 shots and was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis, who had 30 points in the Badgers 65-63 upset of 12th-ranked Houston in the semifinals, had 71 points in the three games.

Saint Mary's took advantage of a defensive lapse for a six-point advantage at the half. Carter Gilmore's pull-up jumper with nine seconds left pulled Wisconsin within 29-25, but Logan Johnson countered with a fast-break layup at the other end just before the buzzer.

The Gaels connected on 13 of 25 shots before the break, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. Wisconsin missed all three of its 3-point attempts.

Davis had nine of the Badgers first 11 points, but did not score for the final 13 minutes of the half.

Saint Mary's also outscored Wisconsin 24-12 in the paint in the first half.

--Field Level Media