Beyond the Box: Wisconsin 69, Marquette 64
December 11, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2010
Star of the Game
Junior guard Jordan Taylor operated the Badgers’ offense in the face of Marquette’s man-to-man pressure defense and hit the key shots down the stretch that allowed UW to escape with a 69-64 rivalry win over Marquette on Saturday. Taylor led the way with a game-high 21 points and finished with three assists against a single turnover in 32 minutes of action. Most importantly, he went 9-for-11 from the free throw line to help the Badgers salt away the win.
Play of the Game
After spending seven minutes on the bench because of foul trouble, senior forward Jon Leuer made an immediate impact when he returned to the floor midway through the second half. On Leuer's first possession back in the lineup, Mike Bruesewitz popped out to the wing and slid Leuer a low pass on the block. In reaching for the ball, Leuer slipped past Marquette’s Jimmy Butler and had a clear path to the basket, throwing down a powerful one-handed slam.
Turning Point of the Game
Despite double-digit leads for the Badgers in the second half, the game was still up for grabs into the final seconds. After Taylor missed the second of two free throws to keep UW’s lead at three points with seven seconds left, freshman guard Josh Gasser got in the way of an attempted handoff between Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom and Dwight Buycks. The contact caused Buycks to lose the ball out of bounds and give possession back to the Badgers, setting up Taylor’s game-icing free throws.
Stat of the Game
Wisconsin’s 21 second-chance points – a product of their 15 offensive rebounds – were the difference in a UW win, especially the 16 points the Badgers scored off second-chance baskets in the second half.
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Brian Mason
UW Athletic Communications
