Badgers Host Golden Eagles at Kohl Center
December 09, 2005 | Men's Basketball
The battle of the in-state rivals continues Saturday when the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team (6-1) takes on Marquette (6-2) at the Kohl Center. Tip-off is set for noon and ESPN Regional will provide local coverage.
Last Wednesday at the Kohl Center, the Badgers used a 27-7 run in the second half to defeat another in-state rival, UW-Green Bay. Junior forward Alando Tucker led UW with 18 points while sophomore guard Michael Flowers tabbed career highs in points (12) and steals (6). Sophomore forward Brian Butch also contributed 14 points and eight rebounds.
Marquette also will head into Saturday's game with a win under its belt. The Golden Eagles defeated Valparaiso 69-54 at home on Wednesday. Freshmen guards Dominic James and Jerel McNeal paced the team with 12 points apiece.
Currently, James leads the Marquette scoring attack with 15.0 points per game while senior Steve Novak is close behind with 14.3 points per game. As a 6-10 forward, Novak is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range (second on the team) is perfect from the free throw line this year (16-16) and became Marquette's all-time free throw percentage leader on Wednesday (.920).
This will be the 112th meeting between these squads, making Marquette the Badgers' most played non-conference opponent. Last year, the Badgers traveled to Milwaukee and suffered a 63-54 loss at the Bradley Center. Despite the loss, Wisconsin still has a 60-51 overall advantage over Marquette, including a 3-0 record at the Kohl Center.
'People just ought to enjoy the heck out of watching all these state schools with their in state players,' Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. 'This next one is a game that's been played for a long time and absolutely, positively, it's an exciting contest for the fans and the state of Wisconsin. I'm not shying away from that.'
Saturday's game also will be a homecoming for Marquette 's Wesley Matthews. As a prep star at Madison Memorial High School, Matthews faced Wisconsin's freshman forward Marcus Landry in the WIAA Division 1 state finals last year.
