What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said about Badgers' tight win over UT Rio Grande Valley

Late heroics helped Wisconsin avoid an upset

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard knows his Badgers are capable of playing much better than they did on Tuesday, but he was relieved to see his team come away with a 67-61 win over UT Rio Grande Valley.

The Badgers needed a late rally to avoid an upset, as they trailed by five points with less than two minutes to play. However, Wisconsin was able to force overtime and eventually pull out the win.

Gard was critical of his team's defense

Gard was not happy with his team's defense, which allowed UT Rio Grande Valley to shoot 50% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range.

"We've got to be better defensively," Gard said. "We gave up way too many easy shots."

Gard said his team needs to do a better job of closing out on shooters and preventing penetration.

Gard praised his team's resilience

Despite his criticism of the defense, Gard praised his team's resilience for finding a way to win.

"I'm proud of our guys for finding a way to win," Gard said. "We didn't play our best, but we found a way to get it done."

Gard said his team's experience helped them win the game.