Crimson Tide Rolls Over the Badgers
December 30, 2003 | Men's Basketball
The No. 15 Wisconsin men's basketball team (8-2) could not handle the second game of its road trip as it suffered a 71-56 loss to Alabama on Tuesday night at the Coleman Coliseum (15,136) in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Devin Harris led all scorers with 22 points while dishing out four assists. Dave Mader grabbed a season-high seven rebounds.
The Crimson Tide started out strong, outscoring the Badgers 10-4 in the first four minutes of the game. Led by Harris, who scored 15 points in the first half, Wisconsin battled back with an 11-6 run to come within one and make the score 29-28 with 4:07 remaining in the half. Two Harris free throws brought the UW to a 32-31 advantage with 2:37 remaining, giving Wisconsin its first lead of the game. The Badgers were on their way to a 33-32 deficit as they headed into the break.
The Badgers' rally to end the half did not shake the Tide as Alabama began the second frame with a 16-7 burst, to give them a 49-39 lead. Alabama went on a 12-3 run midway through the second half and remained solid for the rest of the game as they extended their winning streak to six games.
Alabama shot 52 percent from the field, while Wisconsin shot 38 percent. The Crimson Tide controlled the boards, outrebounding the Badgers 34-24.
Chuck Davis led the Crimson Tide with a career-high 21 points, 15 of which were scored in the second half. Ernest Shelton, who averages 17.3 points per game, added 20 points. The contest marked Shelton's fifth game of the season in which he has scored at least 20 points.
Wisconsin heads home to take on the College of Charleston on Saturday, Jan. 3. Tip-off is at 1pm at the Kohl Center. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net North.
