BANNER

Despite a blistering first‑half shooting display and multiple lead changes throughout the night, the Badgers ultimately fell to Middlebury 97-76 on Tuesday evening at Pepin Gymnasium.

SUMMARY

Johnson opened the game red‑hot from the perimeter, striking early when Jordan Chisholm drilled a three at 19:27 off a Jason Baker assist to give the Badgers their first lead, 3-2. Moment later, Matthew Carter answered Middlebury's response with a strong layup at 18:41 to keep Johnson within one, 5-4.

The Badgers' offense erupted midway through the half. Darone Frierson splashed back‑to‑back threes, one at 11:11 off a Chisholm assist, and another at 10:30 from Martin Askenazi, pushing Johnson ahead 23-19. Baker followed with a scoring run, drilling deep threes at 12:03, 10:04, and 9:32 as Johnson extended the lead to 29-19. Mohammed Semega knocked down a corner three at 14:09 to keep the momentum rolling.

Middlebury surged back late in the half, but Johnson held firm, with Chisholm and Carter hitting key jumpers inside five minutes, and Carter's basket at 2:46 gave the Badgers a 44-39 edge. Johnson closed the half with a defensive stand, taking a 49-45 lead into halftime after limiting Middlebury's final possessions.

Johnson struck first again in the second half when Chisholm buried a three at 19:25 off a Frierson assist, stretching the lead to 52-47. But Middlebury responded with a series of transition baskets and second‑chance points, fueled by their dominant offensive rebounding, to retake control. A sequence beginning at 18:25, where the Panthers turned a Johnson turnover into a fast‑break layup, sparked a sustained Middlebury run.

The Badgers continued to fight. Carter kept Johnson within reach with a mid‑range jumper at 14:27, and Semega battled for tough interior points, including a tip‑in at 12:32. Chisholm hit another deep three at 1:37 off a Jaylen Brown assist to push Johnson to 76 points in the closing minutes. But Middlebury's relentless offensive rebounding, 25 offensive boards, and 52 second‑half points proved too much to overcome.

KEY STATS

Jason Baker: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Jordan Chisholm: 14 points, 4 made threes, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Matthew Carter: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Mohammed Semega: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist
Darone Frierson: 9 points (all on threes), 1 rebound, 3 assists
Jaylen Brown: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals

UP NEXT

Johnson returns to action later this week as they continue conference play, hosting Maine Farmington on Friday for a 5:30pm tipoff.