INDIANAPOLIS — The Wisconsin Badgers got beat at their own game last night. They came up against a team that played better defense.

Michigan State ended the Badgers’ season with a 53-41 drubbing in a national semifinal game in the RCA Dome. Wisconsin has been an offensively challenged team all season, especially against Michigan State, but last night the Badgers saw a higher level of defense.

“It seemed like they were just so intense on defense,” said Wisconsin forward Andy Kowske. “I was setting screens but they were just so locked down on our shooters. By far, this was their best defensive game of the season.”

Wisconsin (22-14) would know. They’ve gone up against the Spartans four times this season and came away 0-4, scoring 44, 54, 46 and 41 points.

The 41 points was the lowest total by a team in the Final Four since the inception of the 35-second shot clock in 1992. It also was the fewest points scored in a Final Four game since 1984, when Georgetown held Kentucky to 40.

“Defensively we play well enough,” said Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett. “It was the same old story. We just couldn’t break them down.”

Wisconsin’s leading scorer, Mark Vershaw, was held to just five points on 2-of-11 shooting. Roy Boone was the team’s leading scorer with 18, one shy of his career high.

Subtract Boone’s 6-of-9 shooting and the Badgers made just 9-of-34 shots.

For all the credit Wisconsin’s defense has received, Michigan State’s has been better. The Spartans now own the nation’s longest winning streak at 10 games. During that streak, they’ve held teams to just 36.4 percent shooting.

“We came out and we knew that we just had to stay in front of our guy and continue to not give up any open shots because those guys are very capable of hitting open shots,” said Michigan State’s Mateen Cleaves. “We just wanted to keep a hand in their face.”