BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana spent the first part of the season trying to play defense.

On Tuesday night, the Hoosiers succeeded.

With the shooters struggling, they shut down the defending Big Ten champs in the second half and got their own offense warmed up just long enough to hold on 59-58 over Wisconsin.

"We don't want to go into a game where it's only offense carrying us," freshman center Thomas Bryant said. "We want offense and defense, too."

The Hoosiers needed both on a rugged night that looked, at times, like they could have been using peach baskets.

Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell scored 19 points, broke a 53-53 tie with a 13-foot jumper with 38 seconds left, then sealed the win with four free throws in the final 13 seconds. O.G. Anunoby added 11 points.

Indiana (13-3) won its eighth straight and has won its first three league games for the first time since claiming its last Big Ten crown in 2012-13.

It wasn't easy and it sure wasn't pretty but it was pure beauty to coach Tom Crean.

"In the past, immaturity could have kicked in in a hurry and you get disappointed and discouraged when you're not making baskets and all of a sudden, the runs turn into routs," Crean said. "We never let that happen."

Instead, they went toe-to-toe with the Badgers (9-7, 1-2) and won ugly.

The two teams opened the second half going a combined 6 of 22 from the field and scored 16 total points in the first 10 minutes. The score was tied at 34 for under four minutes. But Ferrell and Anunoby broke the tie with back-to-back 3-pointers and the Hoosiers never trailed again.

Despite going 9 of 25 from the field in the second half, Wisconsin still managed to tie the score at 53 when Nigel Hayes made two free throws with 52.4 seconds left.

But Ferrell broke the tie with the midrange jumper and closed it out with the free throws.

Hayes and Bronson Koenig each scored 15 for the Badgers.

"The loss here tonight stings, and it will," interim coach Greg Gard said. "But to be able to bring a younger team on the road in this environment and have a chance to win in the final 50 seconds is a step in the right direction."