UW Opens Home Season With a Win
November 26, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Led by a 20-point effort from junior guard Kammron Taylor, the Wisconsin men's basketball team won its eighth straight home opener with a 92-54 win over Coastal Carolina tonight at the Kohl Center. Sophomore forward Brian Butch added 17 points for the Badgers and nearly recorded a double-double with his team-high nine rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Junior forward Moses Sonko led the way for the Chanticleers, scoring 19 points and grabbing a team-high five rebounds. Pele Paelay, a senior guard, was the only other Coastal Carolina player to score in double figures, totaling 13 points.
Spurred by Taylor's three first-half 3-pointers, Wisconsin was fast out of the gate, opening up a 26-8 lead over the first 10:30 of play. The Badgers continued to dominate the Chanticleers, forcing 13 first-half turnovers en route to a 41-17 halftime advantage. Coastal Carolina was held without a free throw attempt in the first half and shot just 29 percent from the field in the opening period.
In the second half, the Badgers dominated the interior, scoring 34 points in the paint while outrebounding the Chants, 20-12. Wisconsin used a 29-4 run over the first eight minutes of the second half to put the game out of reach with a 70-21 margin.
UW sophomore guard Michael Flowers added nine points to the Badger effort, but was most deadly to the opposition on the defensive side of the ball, amassing a career-high five steals and pulling four defensive rebounds.
Wisconsin will take to the road again next week to face No. 24 Wake Forest on Tuesday as part of the seventh annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
