Wisconsin spent the middle part of the first half up significantly on Syracuse, but a 15-3 run in the half's closing minutes helped the Orange take a 33-27 lead into the intermission.
The half featured seven lead changes between the two teams, but a C.J. Fair jumpshot to take a 24-13 lead with five and a half minutes to go started a 11-0 point run for Syracuse to close the half. The Orange also made seven straight field goals during that run.
Wisconsin came out to a 17-13 lead halfway through the first thanks to Jared Berggren's 11 point run. They played well against Syracuse's defense through the middle part of the half, but started to fall apart as the minutes ticked down. The Badgers were forced to make several three point shots. Josh Gasser and Jordan Taylor got the Badgers back on track with four points to close the half.
Wisconsin is led in scoring by Berggren with ten points, while Dion Walters and Brandon Triche lead Syracuse each with nine. Here is video of the start of Syracuse's end of half run: