MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes issued a frustration-filled speech to his teammates in the locker room following Wisconsin's five-point loss to Northwestern on Tuesday. The message, after the Badgers' third consecutive defeat, involved references to playing with more effort and doing some serious soul searching about what they wanted out of a season that had quickly slid backwards.
Five days later, the Badgers responded in a big way. Wisconsin secured its most significant victory this season, and certainly of the Greg Gard era, by defeating No. 4 Michigan State 77-76 in the final seconds on Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center.