Badgers Make Music at Rock-N-Roll Shootout
December 27, 2003 | Men's Basketball
After a short break for the holidays, the No. 19 University of Wisconsin men's basketball team was all business as it cruised to a 71-48 victory over Ohio University in it's inaugural trip to the Balance Bar Rock-N-Roll Shootout at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The win moved the Badgers to 8-1 on the season, including five victories in a row.
The true test for the Badgers was how they would respond to a different type of non-conference opponent after recently completing three emotion-filled games versus intra-state rivals. Showing no sign of a let-down, Wisconsin passed the test by dominating the Bobcats from the get-go, jumping out to a 9-1 lead and never looking back. The lead ballooned to 18 points just over midway through the half before the Badgers settling into a 39-26 halftime advantage. Sophomore Alando Tucker paced the Badgers with 12 points in the half.
The second half featured more of the same as Wisconsin led by as many as 24 points late in the game. Tucker finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. A well-balanced attack saw three other Badgers finish in double-figures. Juniors Devin Harris and Zach Morley poured in 14 points while Mike Wilkinson chipped in 10. While the team shot just 43-percent from the floor on the night, they continued to get to the free-throw line far more than their opponent, sinking 19-of-28 charity shots compared to the Bobcats' 9-of-13.
It was the fourth time this season that the UW kept an opponent under 50 points as the stingy Badger defense held Ohio to 40-percent shooting from the field. Thomas Stephens shot five of 11 and led the Bobcats with 13 points.
The Badgers travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on the 7-2 University of Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by ESPN Plus Local (WISC-TV in Madison).
