Badgers Knock Off No. 12 Maryland 69-64
November 30, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Score one for the Big Ten. Alando Tucker scored 20 of his career-high 27 points in the first half as the Wisconsin men's basketball team ran its home winning streak to 31 with a thrilling 69-64 win over Maryland as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at the Kohl Center Tuesday night.
With the win, the 25th-ranked Badgers improve to 3-1 overall, while the 12th-ranked Terrapins fall to 3-1.
Wisconsin led virtually throughout the contest, withstanding Maryland 's best effort time and time again.
Trailing 21-20 with 8:34 remaining in the first half, the Badgers used a 10-2 run over the next two minutes and 29 seconds to surge ahead to a 32-23 lead. Wisconsin would eventually take a 38-32 advantage into the lockerroom at halftime thanks in part to forcing 12 Maryland turnovers and turning them into 12 points.
The Terrapins had no answer for Tucker throughout the first half. The sophomore forward went over, around and through the Maryland defense, connecting on 5-of-9 shots from the field and going to the free throw line a whopping 13 times ' hitting 10 of them ' on his way to racking up 20 points.
UW's bench also came up big, contributing 16 points compared to just 3 for the Terps.
Maryland came out with a purpose to start the second half, starting on a 7-0 run to take a 39-38 lead. However, the Badgers answered right back. Wisconsin held the Terrapins to just two points over the next six minutes and 21 seconds, while scoring 10 of their own, to go up 48-41. Seven straight points by the Terps tied the game, but six in a row by UW put the hosts up 54-48 with six minutes left.
The Terrapins would make numerous runs at the Badgers down the stretch, but each and every time it was met with an answer.
The Badgers led 59-52 with 2:44 left following four straight free throws by Zach Morley, but five unanswered cut the lead to two. Sharif Chambliss, who stepped up with 15 big points off the bench, knocked down a three-pointer to stretch the lead back to five with 1:28 to go. Layups by Tucker and Morley sandwiched a basket by Chris McCray and UW was up seven with 35 seconds remaining.
But a tip-in by Ekene Ibekwe and a three-pointer by Nik Caner-Medley got Maryland to within 66-64 with 22 seconds to go. Morley split a pair of free throws to put Wisconsin up by three and the Terrapins had a chance to send the game into overtime. Caner-Medley rose up for a potential game-tying three with four seconds left, but Chambliss stripped the ball away and came up with a steal to help seal the win, as Morley iced it with a pair from the charity stripe.
Morley added 12 points for the Badgers, while Ibekwe led Maryland with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Wisconsin returns to action at 6:30 p.m. Central time Saturday when it travels to Rutgers.
Game Notes
Tonight's game was No. 100 for Bo Ryan as Wisconsin 's head coach. Ryan's 71-29 record through 100 games is the second-best mark through as many games in school history. Walter Meanwell (1912-17) posted a 91-9 record in his first 100 games as UW's head coach ' Wisconsin is now 2-4 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with tonight's win. Maryland fell to 3-3 all-time in the Challenge. This was the third time the Badgers and Terrapins had met in the history of the Challenge, with Wisconsin now holding a 2-1 advantage ' Alando Tucker's 15 free throw attempts tonight were the most by a Badger since Devin Harris attempted 18 (16 made) against Ohio State on Feb. 14, 2004 ' The Badgers stretched their home winning streak to 31 games with the victory, the second-longest streak in school history. UW won 33 straight games at home from March 8, 1911 to Jan. 23, 1915. Stephen F. Austin entered play Tuesday with the nation's longest current home winning streak, also at 31 games ' UW improved to 12-0 in home games under Ryan following a road loss ' Maryland entered the game averaging 90.0 points per game in its first three contests, but was held 26 points below its average tonight.
Postgame Quotes
Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams
Opening Statement:
'I thought Wisconsin did a pretty good job down the stretch, we made a pretty good run. They made a couple of free-throws, we didn't and that 's key in that situation. In the first half we just couldn't get going. Obviously, Wisconsin had something to do with that because they played well. We seemed a little tentative out there and it was a pretty physical game and we didn't respond very well until the second half, where we did some good things. Wisconsin played hard, they always do for Bo.'
On Alando Tucker's play:
'He's really quick, I thought at times we had some good defensive players on him but he still got where he could get fouled and he did a heck of a job. We didn't get people over there where he was, in other words if you beat one guy it doesn't mean you get to the basket, but our help wasn't good the first half, it was better the second.'
On adjustments made guarding Tucker after the half:
'Well we tried a couple different guys on him but the big thing was getting more than one person on him. We backed off him a little bit, we finally got smart and didn't get up on him too far and tried to make him shoot it over us. I helped a little bit, but I thought he was the key because he got them whatever confidence they needed.'
Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan
On rebounding from Saturday night's loss:
"It's like when you have the second serve and there is the whole side of the court to serve it to, that's a nice lob. I am pretty excited, I don't get too high or too low, so I didn't have to get too low after Saturday, and I don't have to get too high tonight. I like the way the responded tonight after Saturday's game. There were no pity parties thrown, the guys just came and played tonight."
On Alando Tucker's performance:
"It was nice to just have him standing there. For a year he was sitting down, still working through something to make sure it doesn't happen again, its always on his mind, he's playing now, so I was smiling. I was happy for him, It was what we needed tonight, he got the ball, got open, made some baskets. I was happy, and he was happy with tonight's performance."
On the containing the number of turnovers:
"I'm not going to talk about it, that's all everyone used to talk about. You just get into practice, and get ready for the next day. We know how tough it was against Rutgers last year to complete a pass. We are going into another place in the next game where it's going to be as tough if not tougher than tonight."
