Badgers Use Late Surge to Down Paladins
December 15, 2001 | Men's Basketball
The Badgers (4-6), led by guard Kirk Penney, ended the game on a 17-9 run to beat Furman (6-2) 68-60, this afternoon at the Kohl Center. Penney led both teams in scoring with 21 points. His five three-pointers tied a career high set last year at Michigan.
The Badgers led most of the game until a strong second-half surge by the Paladins closed up a Badger 15-point lead. Back-to-back three-pointers by Anthony Thomas and Jorge Seraphim put Furman even with the Badgers at 49-49, with 7:24 remaining in the game. The Badgers regained the lead with two free throws by Penney, but ended up tied again after a lay-up by Furman's Guilherme Da Luz put the score at 51 all, with 6:22 left on the clock. The Badgers then went on a 17-9 run, with the help of two treys by Penney, to secure the win.
The first half was dominated by Wisconsin which led by as many as 14 points, as Mike Wilkinson sank two from the line after being fouled getting an offensive rebound. Wilkinson's two points made the score 25-11 with 4:24 left in the half.
The Badgers were able to hold Furman's leading scorer, Karim Souchu, to zero points. Coming into today's game Souchu averaged 17.4 points. The Badgers' leading scorer Devin Harris was quiet for most of the game, earning his only points off a couple of free throws with 40 seconds left in the game.
During the first half both teams struggled in shooting with Wisconsin going 9-26, while Furman was 7-25. The Badgers improved their accuracy in the second, ending the game at 46 percent shooting from the field.
The Badgers' next game is one week from today when Marquette comes to town on Dec. 22. The game begins at 1 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
