Badgers Fall to Marquette at the Kohl
December 08, 2007 | Men's Basketball
The UW men's basketball team lost their second game of the season to the hands of in-state rival Marquette 81-76 Saturday at the Kohl Center. The Badgers fell to 6-2 on the season, dropping their first game at the Kohl Center since January 31, 2006.
Senior Brian Butch led Wisconsin with 17 points, shooting 50 percent from the field while hitting his first 3-pointer of the season in the first half. Trevon Hughes chipped in 16 points and four assists, while Michael Flowers tallied 14 points in his first start of the season.
The opening minutes consisted of both teams trading baskets until Marquette was able to make a little run and extend their lead to eight halfway through the first quarter. The Badgers responded with a run of their own, cutting the lead down to one at the four minute mark, then taking the 38-37 lead two minutes later. The Golden Eagles closed out the first half with a 6-3 run to enter the break with a 43-41 lead.
The second half opened much like the first half concluded. Wisconsin jumped on Marquette taking a 50-46 lead five minutes into the half behind the play of Hughes and Flowers. The two teams traded baskets once again over the next ten minutes of game action. Late in the game, with both teams in the bonus, Marquette converted some key free throws and was able to come up with big rebounds on the offensive glass to hold onto their three-point lead.
In the final minutes, Wisconsin was unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities and fell behind 73-68 with less than two minutes to play. After hitting seven of their last nine free throws, the Golden Eagles held onto take the 81-76 win at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers shot nearly 50 percent from the field, but only converted on 47 percent of their free throws. Wisconsin was out-rebounded for the first time this season losing the battle on the glass 41-34.
MU's Dominic James led all scorers with 20 points, while teammate Dwight Burke matched his career high with 12 points and grabbed a career high nine boards. With the win, Marquette improves to 6-1 and will next host Sacramento State, Saturday at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
Freshman Jon Leuer came off the bench and provided Wisconsin with nine points and five rebounds, while the always dependable, Joe Krabbenhoft, tallied six points and five boards in 38 minutes of action.
The Badgers will travel to Milwaukee Wednesday, Dec. 12, to face the UW-Milwaukee Panthers coached by former Wisconsin assistant, Rob Jeter. Tip is set for 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan
Post-Game Quotes
On keeping Brian Butch on the bench at the end of the game: 'We were playing from behind and needed to get our quicker more active guys off of screens. That's how you play down the stretch. That's how you play from behind. If we had a lead that wouldn't have been the case. '
On Marquette out-rebounding Wisconsin: 'Greg (Stiemsma) wasn't on the floor that many minutes. I've coached against so many teams that were bigger than teams that I've coached and out-rebounded them. You still have to get position. You still have to go get the ball. Tonight wasn't one of those nights where we laid bodies on people. We weren 't as fundamentally sound on our block-outs and it was pretty evident. '
On Brian Butch's play: 'He got the dunks because they were open. There was nothing between him and the rim. So if they are there he will take them. It really would have been nice to keep that cushion. I tried to get him some rest in that stretch and we had a couple of guys get into a'.I don 't know what they got into. But we threw the ball away too many times. It was hard to get that back. Brian was fine. He doesn't just get up for one team. He 's just a player. I like what he did tonight. I like what he has done all year. '
Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean
Post-Game Quotes
Opening Statements: 'I said to Bo when we first greeted each other before the game, who would have thought that over this period of time that both teams would be where they're ranked and where it's such a big deal to play this game. I know it's always been a big deal with Marquette and Wisconsin but over the last few years, it's just gone up. They have an outstanding basketball team, there's no question about it and they do so many different things so well. I thought we were in a pool hall in the first half with the way they were lining their shots up and we weren't getting out on to people the way we needed to be, but our guys did a really good job in the second half of tightening their defense. The stat that is the most telling for us because the way they rebound the basketball with 16 offensive rebounds a game, out-rebounding their opponents I believe by 14 or somewhere in that area, for us to out-rebound them today. I thought that was the key to the game because we didn't feel like we could compete at the highest level with Wisconsin if we weren't doing a great job at rebounding. I'm proud of the way they did that, everybody that came into the game contributed in this game and I'm happy for them, it's a big win.'
On the start of the game and what was key for his team: 'That they stay within our plan, which was to make the game go, but we weren't very good defensively. They were lining their shots up, Brian Butch had a tremendous first half, we weren't quite as tough on the backboards, there were some 50-50 balls we didn't get. We wanted to push the ball, we wanted to get wide and it wasn't as much about calling plays as it was about having our concepts right, making sure the corners are filled, making sure we're getting into that alley area, and I thought our guys did an excellent job of differentiating between what was there on the break and then when we had to set up and make a play.'
On how this year's rivalry game differs from other years: 'Well every year is different. Last year, they beat us and certainly Alando Tucker had a great game and all that but they were just more physical than us a year ago. They made too many of the close 50-50 plays against us and our shot selection and the way we shot the ball at home last year was not good. This is the ninth year, it's always something different, but the films we started with were how we played last year. We showed them how we played it in our hands, especially on the offensive end. He's (Bo Ryan) such a great coach because he takes players year in and year out, and puts them in a system exactly where he wants them and they're tough. So you know if you 're going to come into this game, you're going to have to play with emotion, play with enthusiasm and energy, but you're going to have to be smart and you have to be tough. I think we had that smartness and that toughness that leads to maturity, and that's what we did today.'
