Badgers Fall to Wake Forest
December 04, 2002 | Men's Basketball
The Badger men's basketball team lost its first game of the season 90-80 to Wake Forest in the fourth annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The defeat snaps UW's 14-game winning streak at the Kohl Center.
The Demon Deacons jumped out to a 9-2 advantage to start the game. After trailing for most of the first half, Wisconsin tied the score at 21 on a Kirk Penney three-pointer from the top of the key. Penney finished the game with 16 points and six assists.
Alando Tucker gave the Badgers their first lead of game on a three point basket with 5:31 to go in the first half. Tucker then added a lay-in to extend the UW lead to 26-23. The freshman ended with 13 points for the game.
However, the Badger lead did not last long as Wake Forest went on a 13-3 run to end the half. A Josh Howard fadeaway jumper as time expired made the score 39-29 heading into the locker room at the break. Howard led all scorers with 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting. The Deacons shot 54 percent on the night and made 17 of 19 free throw attempts.
To start the second half, Wake widened its lead to 43-30 for its largest margin of the game. The Badgers responded midway through the second half going on a 7-0 run capped off by a Boo Wade reverse lay-in. The Badger rally cut the Wake lead to one, 55-54. Following a Demon Deacon basket, Penney answered with a three-pointer to tie the game at 57 with 10:55 remaining.
Wake came back with a rally of their own, scoring seven straight points to take a 66-59 lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
The Badgers stayed in the game all the way to the final minute as Devin Harris made a three-pointer from the corner to narrow the Wake lead to 82-78. Harris and Freddie Owens led Wisconsin in scoring with 19 points apiece. However, the Demon Deacons sealed the victory by making eight straight free throws to end the game.
The Badgers next game is Saturday Dec. 7 against UNLV at the Kohl Center. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.
